Melody of the Heart 1: Broken Siren
by Higuchimon
Summary: [au: fantasy, 15/15] Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,075||story: 2,075|| **Chapters:** 1/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

"What is your purpose?" One voice, dark and cold and commanding.

"I will seduce Prince Taichi and bring him to you when he's under my control." A second voice, whisper-soft, raw edges and hurt echoes, rusty and thick.

"Why will you do this for me?" A hint of warning, a breath of a threat.

"Because I owe you my life. Because you will give me what I want." Still angry, still rough, but with a wisp of pain wrapped through it.

"Will you fail me?" Another edge of warning, nothing more.

"No, master. I will not." Conviction. Complete and utter conviction.

* * *

Taichi stifled a yawn and tried his best to smile. He usually wasn't too bad at pretending interest, but he'd been at this party since just before sundown. He'd had enough already.

 _I want to go to bed._ He bit back another yawn. If something didn't happen soon, he'd make an excuse and get out of there.

Hikari leaned in a bit closer to him, her eyes sparking with enthusiasm. How she could manage this longer than he did Taichi had no idea. "Look over there," she murmured, her voice no higher than a whisper.

For lack of anything better to do, he followed her gaze to the door, where someone new had just entered. That wasn't surprising in and of itself; people came and went all night. Royal parties were like that. But what did surprise him was the fact this new person had hair of new-minted gold -a rarity in their kingdom - and eyes of a bright blue that Taichi couldn't remember ever seeing.

Except… hadn't he? Once before?

The ring on his finger pulsed in the enchanted lighting of the ballroom and the thought slipped away without leaving a trace in his mind. He stared at the newcomer and before Hikari could say another word, he was on his feet and moving toward them.

"Greetings, stranger," he said as soon as he was close enough to the new arrival. "I don't think I've seen you before."

The other turned toward him with his first words. Taichi's breath caught in his throat at his first sight of the stranger's face. Never before had he seen someone this _beautiful_.

"This is my first time at a royal ball," the stranger said, his voice almost too soft for Taichi to hear. Taichi listened harder, wanting to hear more of it already. "You can call me Yamato."

Taichi nodded, shivers racing outward from his deepest core. "I'm - "

"Taichi. I know. The prince." Yamato's lips curved to a smile. "THere are few who wouldn't know you at your own party, Your Highness."

Oh. Right. This was in honor of his twenty-first birthday. He hadn't even thought about that for half the night. But now he had something else to occupy his mind. He held a hand out.

"Since it's my party, then would you care for a dance?" It wasn't at all the first time he'd spun around the room with a new arrival, though none of them had caught his attention with little more than being blond and a handful of soft-spoken words.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Yamato replied, a quirk to the side of his mouth. The longer Taichi listened to him, the easier hearing his voice came. The longer Taichi listened to him, the more that he _wanted_ to listen, and the longer he wanted Yamato to stay with him.

As soon as the band noticed the prince's return to the dance floor, they struck up a livelier tune, something fit for a prince and yet another potential suitor to dance to. It didn't take very long before Taichi found himself comfortable enough to ask a few questions.

The fact that Yamato answering those questions would enable him to hear that voice again could only be a bonus in Taichi's mind.

"How far away did you come from?"

That earned him another quirk of Yamato's lips. "What makes you think I came from far away?"

"Because I know all the nobles in the kingdom by sight or name and I don't recognize either of those for you," Taichi replied, making a bit of a face at the memory of all those boring lessons . "And I know most of the royal families that are close enough to get here soon and you're not from them, either."

Yamato laughed and the sound struck even deeper into Taichi's heart than his voice had. He could listen to either of them forever. "You're right. I had to travel for weeks to get here." He leaned a bit closer, enough so Taichi could see the fine stitchwork on the scarf around his neck. "But I would've traveled ten times as far to see you, Your Highness."

It wasn't at all the first time that people had said something like that to him in his life, let alone tonight. But it was the first time that Taichi thought they meant it.

"Is that so?" He grinned, losing himself completely in those sapphire blue eyes and the feel of Yamato's hands in his as they danced. Those weren't the hands of a warrior, that was for certain, for all that they retained calluses. "Why is that?"

"Why would anyone come this way to dance with a handsome prince?" THe words gave a feeling of practice, but they were heartfelt all the same. Taichi pulled himself closer.

"Are you going to be here for the next two nights?" ONe night of a ball wasn't enough for his father, not at all. No, this would last for another two nights, until Taichi had danced at least once with everyone eligible who turned up.

In under five minutes of dancing with Yamato, he couldn't imagine wanting to do so with anyone else. He could see Hikari watching him from the sidelines and when she caught his gaze, she nodded in firm approval.

"I wouldn't miss them for the world," Yamato promised. "I don't need to ask if you'll be here." He leaned in closer, so that only Taichi could hear him when he spoke. "Can we dance both nights?"

"I'm going to spend as much time with you as I can both nights," Taichi promised without a hint of thought.

Yamato's fingers tightened against his, a spark of joy in his eyes. "I can hardly wait."

Far too soon the musicians led the song to an end and Yamato stepped away. Not too far, for which Taichi found himself quite grateful, but he missed the close warmth of Yamato's body already.

"Something to eat?" Taichi grasped at what he wanted for himself and what he hoped would give him yet another excuse to spend a few more minutes with his unexpected guest.

"Definitely," Yamato agreed, falling into place beside Taichi as the prince led the way to the refreshments table.

Taichi could see his father and mother looking in their direction and avoided catching their attention. They'd want to _meet_ Yamato and Taichi wasn't even close to ready to let anyone else talk to him. The thought of other people hearing that compelling voice, of not being the only one Yamato spoke to, sent chills all through him, and not of the good kind. He wasn't going to share. Not yet.

So he slid around a little so his back was to them and all of his attention focused itself once more on Yamato. He _was_ supposed to be entertaining potential suitors and he'd already done something similar many times that evening. He could have something to himself, just once.

"Did you come with anyone else?" Taichi wondered. Yamato hadn't said where he had come from, just that it was a long trip, and he had to have some kind of escort. Taichi remembered many a time when he'd wanted to go just out to the city and his parents refused to let him go on his own.

"Of course. They're taking care of some personal business," Yamato shrugged as he spoke. "You'll meet them sooner or later, trust me on that."

"Your parents?" Taichi wondered if Yamato's parents could have the same kind of compelling voice that Yamato himself did. THe idea of listening to three such voices sent his head spinning.

Yamato's reply didn't come right away and Taichi looked closer, wondering what the problem was. The moment their eyes met, Yamato nodded, a sweet smile touching his lips. "Sure."

Taichi wondered at the phrasing, before Yamato picked up a plate full of small delightful pieces of food and gave it a very careful examination.

"What is this?" The simple question distracted Taichi almost at once from whatever he'd been thinking about.

"Hm? Oh, those are eggrolls," he said, gesturing to a couple of pieces. "And that's sushi right there. Don't you have that where you're from?"

"We're too far from the ocean to have much seafood. I'm a little more used to roasts or pork."

Taichi's eyes rounded. "You know, I don't think I can remember having pork. _Ever_." He remembered hearing about it but not tasting it.

"If you come visit me, then you can have all you want," Yamato promised, that spark gleaming bright in his eyes.

"You mean it?" Taichi almost couldn't believe how good his evening could turn out after all.

"I don't tell lies," Yamato said, nibbling at an eggroll. "THey're boring, anyway."

Lying was boring? Taichi hadn't thought of it like that, but now he saw it Yamato's way. Boring and way too difficult to keep up with. Who'd even want to bother with it?

Taichi couldn't have said how long they talked or what it was they talked about. None of it seemed to matter in the slightest, not compared to the fact he talked to Yamato at all. They spun out for another turn on the floor, the only time that Taichi gave someone a second dance all that evening.

* * *

"Who is that?" The Queen tried to get a better look at who her son danced with but their movement and the amount of people also out on the dance floor made that far more difficult than she liked.

"I can't tell," her husband answered, not paying that much attention. It was just as well that his son was making efforts to make connections of any kind tonight, and he'd better keep it up on the next two nights. Exactly who those connections were with he didn't care. There wasn't anyone here who would be a bad match in any sense of the word. "What do they look like?"

She moved her head, peering around in an attempt to get a better look. "All I can be sure of is that they're blond. They must be from very far away."

The king's head came up at once. "Blond? With blue eyes?"

"I can't tell. Why?"

He laid a hand on her arm. "Don't you remember? Five years ago…"

The queen paled at those words alone, fingers tightening into a terrified clutch. "But he's… it can't be!"

The king pressed his lips together, now casting his own eyes over the ballroom. "It shouldn't be. But we must make certain." They'd done too much five years earlier to let this happen again, and the foul creature _had_ had a brother who looked similar to him.

The throng of people parted just enough for the king and queen to see their son standing on the edge of the dance floor, one hand raised in farewell to someone out of sight. The king refused to swear, but if he'd been a lesser man, he would have.

"We'll speak to him," the queen reassured him, laying one hand on his arm to calm him. "He needs to know there's a chance of such a thing happening again."

The king shook his head. "No. No, he doesn't. That's the last thing he needs to know right now. Or at all." His eyes hardened. "Whoever it is, they must not return to the palace. Not tomorrow and not ever again."

Taichi would be furious, but the king wouldn't back down. His son's life could depend on it, and for that, he would do anything.

He didn't need to see who the mystery guest was. The blond hair and the way Taichi was so drawn to them after only a few moments said more than enough.

The siren had returned from the dead.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,092||story: 4,177|| **Chapters:** 2/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Taichi rolled over, lifted his head just enough to catch sunlight in his eyes, and stuffed his head under the nearest fluffy pillow with a heartfelt groan.

 _I don't want to get up._ He knew that he would have to sooner or later; his parents would want a report on what he thought about the first night of the party. But he didn't want to get up _now_ and he couldn't think of any reason why he should.

He slid one hand under the pillow to rub at his forehead, trying to put a few thoughts together. He wanted to go back to sleep but now that his eyes were open and he could feel the kiss of the sun on his skin, his body kept telling him he needed to get up.

Stupid body. What did it know?

He shifted a little more in an attempt to get more comfortable, letting everything slot itself into place. For the most part, he'd wanted to sleep through most of the party. Only after Yamato -

Taichi almost jumped out of bed, shuddering all over in the most pleasant of ways. Yamato burst into his thoughts like a small sun himself, the warm pressure of his fingers, the glitter of his eyes, the sound of his voice…

Oh, his voice. That voice. Angels would weep at the sound of his voice. Taichi wriggled, wrapping his arms around his pillow now. He wanted to hear it again, the sooner the better.

 _Tonight._ Yes. Yamato would be back tonight and Taichi didn't care for a moment who else might show up. They would spend the entire night together.

Letting out a long sigh as he realized that he didn't have any more reason to stay in bed, he wriggled to his feet and ran one hand through his hair: not that it did anything. He'd lost many a comb to his hair.

 _What does Yamato's hair feel like?_ It gleamed bright enough as it was. What would it be like to touch it? Maybe he could ask tonight…

A tap came on the door. "Your Highness? Are you awake? Your royal parents wish to see you at breakfast."

Taichi cast a quick glance to the angle of the sunlight coming in the windows. _Huh. Not as late as I thought._ Not yet noon at least, so still breakfast time, if a bit on the late-ish side anyway.

"I'll be there soon," he replied to the servant, starting to scout around for something to wear. He could bathe later; his stomach demanded food, and he almost couldn't wait to let his parents know about Yamato. It wasn't a given yet that he wanted to ask Yamato to stay, to at least consider marriage… but he wanted to see more of him. He wanted to see _him_.

Soon enough he entered the breakfast nook, a small-ish room close to all four of the royal suites. Breakfast was the only meal of the day that they didn't spend in front of other people. His parents had already started eating before he came in, with a servant placing a plate full of food in front of Hikari, who looked up at him as he entered.

"Did you have a good night?" The side of her mouth quirked up a little as she spoke. Taichi glowered at her for a moment before flopping down in his seat.

"Yes, I did." And that was all he felt he needed to say on the subject.

His parents didn't agree with that. His father leaned forward. "You're not to see that beast again, Taichi."

Taichi froze in mid-motion. "Excuse me?" He'd never before heard his father being so adamant about something to do with the family. He sounded more as if he were issuing a royal command than anything else.

"I said, you're not to see him again. Doing so will put your life at risk and I won't have it." The king drained his cup of wine and gestured for a refill. "I know that you feel as if that would be the worst fate in the world, but it's for your own good."

Taichi's appetite vanished. "What are you talking about?" The warm mental folds of gold that dusted his thoughts since waking up began to ebb away. "He hasn't done anything!"

"You're going to have to trust me on this, Taichi," the king told him, not meeting his eyes. "But it's for your good and that of the kingdom."

Hikari leaned forward, worry creasing her forehead. "Father? I didn't talk to him, but he didn't seem like a bad person."

"He's coming back tonight," Taichi said, fingers tightening into fists. "You can't give me a reason why he shouldn't." He wanted a reason. He didn't care what it was, but unless it involved Yamato as some kind of murderer, then he saw no reason to listen to it.

"Taichi," his mother spoke his name as she leaned toward him. "I wish that we could tell you the reasons, but it's for your own good. He's not a good person. He's not even human."

Taichi gave them both his best annoyed look. "So? There were four elven princes and three dryad princesses there last night. I think I saw the prince of the demon kingdom there too _and_ his consort, and no one's ever figured out what species _he_ is." He counted off a few more on his fingers. "Hikari, what about that person you were talking to? She wasn't completely human, was she?"

He tried not to notice the way Hikari's cheeks tinged pink at that. "No, Miyako's part phoenix."

"So being human isn't a requirement. Why is it a problem with Yamato?" Taichi purred to himself at the way Yamato's name tasted on his tongue. He wanted to say it again, to shout it as loud as he could, just to know what it would be like.

"All of those are from long established kingdoms we have treaties and alliances with," the king replied, his voice cold and distant. "This _creature_ isn't like that. His kind are abominations that should not exist." He rose to his feet. "This isn't up for discussion. He will not be here tonight."

Taichi's jaw set as well. "He will be. And I'll spend all of tonight with him."

"If he dares to appear, then I'll have the guards deal with him." The king shook his head in absolute denial. "I know you don't understand and you're upset about this, but it is for your own good, and I wish I could explain it to you."

"Then why don't you?" Taichi snapped, on his feet a heartbeat later. "Why not just tell me what's wrong instead of handing out orders?"

The king stared him in the eyes. "Knowing him is dangerous enough. Knowing more than you do now would make matters even worse. You _must_ trust me on this. Your life could be at stake here, my son."

"What if I wanted to risk it?" Taichi demanded. "What if I thought he was worth it?"

Both of his parents shook their heads and his father turned toward his mother. "It's already begun."

"I'll send for the archmage," the queen said, shoulders slumping in defeat. "You were right. We should have done it last night."

Taichi wanted to scream, to slam his fists into something, to just _do something_. "All you're acting like is if you don't trust him and you haven't even met him! Why aren't you telling me the truth?"

"Because the truth would mean you'd go to him even faster, my prince." A new voice entered the conversation and everyone turned to see the archmage enter the room. No one knew if he had any name aside from "Archmage" or even what he looked like. His appearance changed every time he appeared. For all any of them knew, he might well have been different people who called themselves that.

Taichi glared at the archmage, not pleased by what he heard. "So? No one's said anything about why that would be a bad thing."

Today the archmage appeared as an old man, half a hand shorter than Taichi himself, with long white hair, and wearing a red robe. He shuffled closer to Taichi and rested a hand on his shoulder, staring into the prince's eyes. "Do you know what a siren is?"

"Archmage - " The king spoke but the sorcerer only waved him to silence, awaiting Taichi's response.

"Never heard of them." Taichi admitted. "What are they?" And what did this have to do with Yamato and why his parents flipped out at the idea of them spending time around one another.

"They compel and control others with their voice alone. For time out of mind, it's been against the law in your kingdom for any siren to live. Once, long ago, a siren ensnared the king and led the land into a war that brought ruin to all involved, only for their own amusement." The archmage shook his head. "Since then, any who manifests the gift faces death or exile."

Taichi shook his own head even more. "So what does this have to do with _Yamato_?"

"He's a siren." The king said, his voice low and heavy. "Archmage, we had you help once before. Will you again? The same way?"

"I told you then that doing so would end up costing you something in the long run," the archmage replied. So far as Taichi could tell, he didn't seem that pleased about any of this. "Doing so again, with the siren so close to him already, would not help."

For the life of him, Taichi couldn't shake the feeling that a thousand things were going on that he didn't know about and almost everyone around him did. Only the confused look on Hikari's face gave him the slightest bit of comfort.

"It hasn't cost anything and if we keep them apart, then it won't." The king stepped forward. "Even if it weren't the law, the siren _returned from the dead_. No one can do that without evil magic of some kind."

"He did _what_?" Taichi wanted a lot more answers than he was getting, and ones that made some kind of sense would be best. Yamato wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. He'd been too _warm_! Dead people weren't warm!

He shook his head harder than before and headed for the door. "I"ll see you later. At the party." He couldn't imagine wanting to talk to his parents another moment today. Nothing they said made any sense and they didn't sound as if that would change any time soon.

Yamato. Dead. Ridiculous.

He let his thoughts slip away into warm memories of their farewell the night before, of how close they'd held one another, of Yamato's wonderful voice murmuring into his ear. He couldn't remember just what the blond said, but he knew it didn't matter. Seeing Yamato again that night _did_ matter. He had an entire day to dream about gazing into those blue eyes and hearing the sound of that melodic voice and he wasn't going to waste it on arguing with his parents.

* * *

Hikari pressed her hands together, listening to every word that passed between her brother and her parents. She said nothing at all; if they remembered she was there, they'd try to make her leave.

 _I knew this wasn't going to go right._ They hadn't wanted to listen to her five years ago, either. Better to let Taichi heal from what had happened then, in her opinion. They'd put it off and now he was falling right into the same trap that he had then.

She slipped out of her chair once it became obvious they weren't going to do anything that made sense. She'd hadn't made it to the door before the archmage caught her eye and offered her a small smile. She nodded back, still not comfortable around him, and then stiffened.

 _Walk with caution, princess. Your brother will need you one day._

Hikari swallowed; the voice in her mind were that of the archmage, though he still seemed absorbed with her parents. She darted through the door and headed for where she knew she'd find Miyako. She wanted to have a long talk with her, and the sooner the better.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,129||story: 6,262|| **Chapters:** 3/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Taichi kept his attention on the door. He knew that sooner or later Yamato would arrive and he'd done all that he could so no one else would want to dance with him before the blond arrived. That meant a lot of dancing with the other princes and princesses, few of whom he was actually interested in even half as much as he was in Yamato.

One of them, a lovely redhead, smiled at him as they spun around the room, a small laugh dancing from her lips. "You're thinking about someone else," she said, laughter in her eyes.

Heat flared up Taichi's cheeks. "No, I'm not." He didn't like lying but what else could he say?

She tendered him a reproving look. "I can tell, Your Highness. Don't lie to yourself, even if you try to lie to other people."

Taichi fidgeted, eyes flicking around once more to see if there was any sign of Yamato, and once more falling short. Would the guards keep him away? Could they?

"My parents don't like him," he muttered, trying to focus on what was going on in front of him. "He's a siren."

Her lips thinned, eyes darkening with worry. "I see." She kept on dancing. He couldn't remember her name at the moment, but he had troubles remembering much of anything that didn't have to do with Yamato. "Watch yourself, then, and be sure of his heart and yours. A siren has problems finding someone who can love them because they want to love them and not because of the siren _wanting_ them to love them."

Her words wiggled and squirmed in the back of his mind, attempting to fight with his every thought about Yamato. It might have had better chances if he hadn't caught sight of a hair of golden head sliding past the guards. He couldn't see their faces from here, but he didn't even care.

Yamato had arrived.

The music came to an end and his partner - Sora, he remembered her name now - stepped away from him, eyes following his until she saw Yamato, then looked back to Taichi.

"Best of luck, Your Highness," she said, stepping out of sight.

No sooner had she done so then Yamato moved closer to Taichi. Just like the night before, he wore a doublet of black velvet, trimmed with silver, with a matching scarf wrapped around his neck, despite the mid-spring warmth. Their hands wrapped around one another and Taichi leaned in, every part of him aching for the first sound of that enchanting voice.

"I missed you today," Yamato murmured and Taichi sighed in rapture.

"Same here." Taichi wrinkled his nose as they began to spin around the dance floor together, moving in tandem as if they'd done so their entire lives. "Yamato…" He didn't want to stop their perfect union, but he had to get this out of the way. "My father and mother say that you're a siren."

Yamato didn't miss a step in his dance. "I am." Taichi tilted his head in time to see a small smile on the other's lips. "That explains the extra guards."

"Did you have any problem with them?" Taichi shot a quick glance over to where they stood, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Yamato chuckled at the question.

"Not at all." Yamato's fingers brushed close against Taichi's neck. "I've been waiting to see you again for a long time. Nothing is going to keep me away from you, Taichi. _Nothing_."

Taichi met his eyes, confusion flickering all through him. "What do you mean?" Some of what his parents told him stirred up but he couldn't get a grip on it. Yamato's voice and his touch sent his thoughts spinning off into a thousand new directions with every moment.

"I'll explain it later. Now's not a good time." Yamato's voice held an exotic purr that soothed Taichi's usual annoyance. "But I will tell you, and soon. You can trust me on that."

And Taichi did, without a shadow of a doubt. He kept on dancing, paying attention only to the feel of Yamato's arms and the sound of his voice as the other murmured into his ear, drinking the sweet echoes in as he would have the finest of wines.

* * *

Sora watched the two of them spinning around the dance floor, not one ounce of care for anyone who wasn't each other in their eyes. She could see the passions and emotions flowing between them without any effort at all.

"They've got it bad for each other, don't they?"

She didn't look up as she answered. "I'm surprised more people aren't seeing it."

A small laugh, tinkling and pure. "I think most of them do. At least the ones who aren't terrified because of the siren there."

Sora cast a small glance to the side, where Mimi leaned against one of the walls, tracking the two young men with her eyes. "You're no more affected than I am, are you?"

"Not at all." The dryad princess grinned, mischief lighting her warm brown eyes. "You know how it goes. Only humans are subject to a siren's power." She drummed her fingers against her lips. "So we're going to have to do something about Taichi to get this sorted out."

"We have other things to worry about first," Sora pointed out. "And they might not appreciate our interference."

Mimi shrugged at that. "They're going to need it anyway. We can't just sit here and not do anything at all."

Sora thought otherwise, but she'd learned ages ago how difficult it was to persuade MImi otherwise once she'd set her mind and heart on something.

"There's something else that we need to make certain of first."

Mimi made a small curious noise. Sora kept watching the two young men herself, looking for any sign for what she wanted to know.

"They tried to kill him here five years ago. He shouldn't be here now. Something happened and we need to know what it was."

That got the dryad looking at her again, fingers ever-moving, now down to her arms. "I think we should talk to Ken and Daisuke about it, in that case."

Sora could never forget that behind Mimi's fluttering facade there remained a mind of sharp steel and quick thought. If she tried, Mimi always had a way to remind her.

"Did they come tonight?" She tried to find a glimpse of them somewhere, but nothing caught her attention. Ken could blend in when he wanted to, but Daisuke had never quite learned the art of camouflage.

"I don't know. I'll ask around." Mimi didn't wait another moment but slipped away, vanishing in a few seconds. She might have turned invisible or just passed out of Sora's sight. Either one wouldn't have surprised Sora.

"Your Highness?" She turned to see Princess Hikari there, Lady Miyako in human form by her side. "Princess Sora?"

Sora inclined her head. "What can I do for you, Princess?"

"I noticed you watching my brother," Hikari spoke, her voice dropping down quieter. Her hand remained wrapped around Miyako's at all times. "Can you - is there anything you can do to help him?"

That got a bit of a raised eyebrow. "Help him?" Sora held back a sigh. Had Princess Hikari heard the same warnings her brother had about sirens and how dangerous they were? It would make sense.

"You do know about the siren, don't you?"

Sora offered only a small nod, letting Hikari fill in the gaps in the conversation with her own information.

"I'm worried about Taichi. The siren isn't _right_." She shook her head, hand still tight around Miyako's. "They _executed_ him. I was _there_ , I saw it!"

Now this wasn't something Sora expected. "What happened?" She'd known about the attempted execution but to get it from a witness?

Hikari's grip hardened and Miyako rested her free hand on the princess's shoulder.

"Whatever happened, there's evil magic involved with that siren being back," Miyako said, glancing toward them. Sora didn't deny it; beings of magic could see some of the same things, even if not for the same reasons. "But I can't tell what it was."

"Yamato was a friend of ours," Hikari whispered, low enough now that Sora had to listen hard to understand what she said. "We all grew up together. Me and Taichi, Yamato and Takeru. But then Yamato became a siren, and people just did anything he wanted. Someone… someone tried something." A flicker of rage swept her eyes and her shoulders stiffened. "He killed them. He told them to die and _they did_."

She shook her head, each word pulled out of her by strength of will alone. "He saved Taichi's life, but Father decreed he had to die, because he was a siren. Taichi refused to allow it. Said they'd run away together if he had to."

That told Sora quite a bit that she hadn't known. It made a lot more sense than she wanted it to, as well. She gestured for Hikari to keep going.

"Father refused to allow it. He called on the archmage." Hikari bit her lip and turned a bit to see her brother before looking back to Sora. "The archmage wiped every memory of Yamato from Taichi's mind. Then the execution happened. They cut his throat and threw his body into a pit." She shook her head. "I knew taking his memory was the wrong idea. He would've been angry. He'd _still_ be angry about that. But he could've _dealt_ with it. Only now he hasn't and now Yamato is back and it's just _all wrong_."

Until they could figure out the method behind Yamato's return, Sora wasn't going to argue that point. She checked out the two dancing men one more time and this time noticed the ring gleaming on Taichi's finger.

 _That must be where the focus of the amnesia spell is._ Most spells like that required a form of focus to keep going past the initial casting. _Breaking it won't be easy._

Doing it right wouldn't be a good idea even if she could. She did note the information away to inform Ken and Daisuke when - or if - the chance arose.

"A collection of princesses!" As if the thought conjured the two of them, Daisuke's bright voice chirped almost in her ear. He grinned his usual wide grin at them all, hands nestled on the back of his head. "Hey, ladies!"

No one knew exactly _what_ Daisuke was. To mortal sight, he just looked like an attractive human, brilliant and enthusiastic and full of life. To the sight of creatures of magic, such as Sora or Mimi or Miyako - and Yamato as well - his aura pulsed with raw power unlike anything anyone in the world had ever encountered. That power wasn't always under his control, either.

Ken rested one hand on Daisuke's shoulder. Mortal sight showed him as a handsome young man, dark of hair and violet of eye, but the sight of the supernatural overlaid that with an aura of enfolding shadows mixed with brilliant sparkles. Prince of demons he very well was, but Sora knew he had a heart kinder than any in the world.

Perhaps that was why he and Daisuke were mates. Someone needed to reign in Daisuke's power and Ken alone managed that.

"I found them!" Mimi enthused, wiggling around to where Sora could see her. "They were over there." She nodded her head toward an alcove hidden by a drape of silk. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as great as Daisuke's. "Sorry for interrupting, but this is important."

Ken inclined his head. "Of course. I watched them meet last night."

"There's something off about Yamato," Daisuke provided, a little more serious than usual. "I can't tell from this far away what it is, though."

"Neither can I," Ken agreed. "But it's there."

Sora pressed her hands together, trying to put everything into some kind of order. It wasn't easy. A siren who had died and now walked again, coming for the one that he'd cared about before, who didn't remember him because of archmage magic and yet who remained drawn to him.

"Should we speak to the king and queen?" Sora asked at last. "Is there anything else they might be able to tell us?"

Hikari shook her head without hesitation, her gaze flicking from one of them to the other. "I don't think so. Before Yamato became a siren, they cared about him almost like he was their son too. If that wasn't a problem…"

Sora nodded. But it was one and it was just one of the many things that needed sorting out, and soon, before something worse happened.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,133||story: 8,395|| **chapters:** 4/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

He could not enter the castle, despite how much he longed to do so and lay waste to all within it. But he needed an invitation and that he did not have.

But his servant did, and that was good enough. Soon he would have his revenge, brought to him by the hand of the one they'd rejected.

If it hadn't been for that rejection, that attempt – so close to success as well! - then he would have had to find some other way to gain what he desired. He might well not have been able to do so for centuries. But now he had it all so close to being in his hands. Another night would bring them to a more solid beginning.

He watched from afar, clear blue eyes picking out the movements of the prince and his own servant. No longer did they dance where all could see them, but they sat in an alcove, the siren's voice persuading any who would come near them to leave them be.

The prince sat in the siren's lap, his shoulders slumped, no resistance at all. So perfect. The siren ran his fingers through the prince's hair and murmured into his ear, weaving spells of simple words.

 _How lovely this will be when he is mine._ The castle might well stand afterward and the people continue to live, but they would know one thing: he'd brought their prince low, enslaved not only to himself but to the creature they feared above all others. He'd _won_.

As much as he wished, he couldn't stay all night long. He had matters of his own to tend to and he had to take enough care so that no one noticed the traces he left behind. The last thing that he wanted was for the people around here to realize he'd returned. That would make matters _difficult_.

Not impossible. Just difficult. He could deal with difficult. He just didn't want to.

His pet siren would handle everything that he needed to from here anyway. He'd made certain that Yamato fed before they came, at least for the last two nights.

Tomorrow night would be a different story altogether. Tomorrow night their sweet vengeance began.

The vampire leaped into the air and spun away into the shadows, satisfied that all was going according to plan.

* * *

Yamato kept his arms around Taichi, nuzzling against his neck. He could feel the warm blood flowing in there. He could smell it, even without ever having taken a single bite from him.

In fairness, the thought of biting Taichi allured and repulsed him at the same time. He wanted to know if it was even a little bit as delicious as the other blood that he'd tasted over the last couple of years. But it was _Taichi's blood_. The idea of using him as a simple food source sent shudders all through him.

He restrained himself. He'd fed well before coming, just as his master wished him to. He didn't need to bite. He just wanted to, because of how good Taichi smelled.

 _Was he always like this?_ Yamato remembered every bit of his life before he'd found unlife – or unlife found him – but he couldn't remember just how Taichi smelled, or if he'd even noticed it then.

What he did remember was how much he enjoyed holding Taichi or being held by him, how good it felt when they were this close to one another, and the overwhelming rage and terror that sprang up when his powers first manifested.

 _They don't deserve him,_ he reminded himself, playing with Taichi's bushy hair. _They didn't care that I saved his life, just how I did it. They would've let him die if it hadn't been for me. He's not theirs anymore._

If he could've taken Taichi away with him then and there, he would have. But his master insisted on doing things his way, and Yamato couldn't disobey him, even if he'd wanted to.

So he leaned in closer and whispered so only Taichi could hear him. "I'm coming back tomorrow night. The last night of the ball."

Taichi nodded, his brown eyes glazed and unaware of anything but Yamato's words, just as it should be.

"I want you to stay away from everyone else that you can. Tell them you're not feeling well or anything else that will keep you away from them. You know they all just want to keep us apart anyway."

He wasn't lying. The extra guards made it plain and he'd noticed a few others around who could cause trouble for him if they tried. He would have to warn his master about them. He didn't think they could interfere but he didn't want to take chances, not when they were this close.

"Tomorrow night we're going to leave together. You'll never have to worry about them again."

Tiny lines of worry in Taichi's forehead eased themselves out at that. While in Yamato's arms, under the spell of his words, he couldn't really say anything unless Yamato wanted him to. But Yamato, even after all the time they'd had apart, could read him well.

"I promise nothing will happen to them." He wasn't lying about that, either. Their revenge would be the taking of Taichi away, where no one here would ever see or hear from him again. His parents, his sister, the friends left behind, they would all be unharmed.

A few peasants might end up being fed from, but that wasn't a great loss, in Yamato's opinion. No more so than a steak or a roasted chicken would be a great loss.

Sometimes he wondered how being what he was now affected how he thought. But not when he remembered what he would get out of all of this: his Taichi, back with him forever.

Yamato rested his fingertips on Taichi's head for another few moments. He could hear the people in the ballroom moving around; just how late was it? More than he thought; he could feel the air beginning to thin with the coming of morning. That meant he needed to leave. He slowly urged Taichi to his feet.

"I'll be back tonight," he reiterated his promise. "You don't need to pack anything for our trip. I'll give you everything that you could ever want. Just remember not to tell anyone about this or to talk to them at all. Do you understand?"

Taichi nodded. Yamato leaned in a bit closer. "I'll see you tonight, then. Tonight, and forever."

* * *

Taichi's head didn't clear until he closed the door to his room behind himself. He missed Yamato already, though their leave-taking couldn't have been more than half an hour earlier. The feeling of those arms around him, a bit cooler than he might've expected but still with a life and a passion that hadn't changed, the sound of Yamato's sweet voice murmuring in his ear…

 _Tonight._ He loved the sound of it already. He didn't want to stay here anymore. There wasn't anything here for him. Just an endless round of being ignored when he said something about Yamato and his parents wanting him to marry when the only person he loved wasn't someone they even wanted him to talk to!

He made his way to his bed, dropping clothes behind himself. He could pick them up later, or a servant would. Even with the glowing thoughts of Yamato in his mind, he ached too much for his bed and sleep to worry about it now.

 _I should at least say good-bye to Hikari. I'll leave her a note._ She worried about him, but he wanted to make certain she knew how happy he was over this and how happy he would be once he and Yamato left. She'd be happy for him, once she knew that. She'd have Miyako to keep her company anyway. They cared about each other a lot. Taichi didn't have anything to fear there.

But he'd worry about writing that letter later. Now he fell on the bed, pulled the blankets up, and knew nothing more until past noon.

* * *

Daisuke lay in Ken's warm embrace, pretending that they didn't have to get up for any reason. It wasn't that much of a pretense; they weren't at home and neither of them had any real duties to take care of. All that bothered either of them was the situation with Taichi and Yamato.

"You're thinking about them," Ken murmured, one bat-wing twitching.

"How did you guess?" Daisuke teased. He didn't move; he thought better when in Ken's arms. He did a lot of things better in Ken's arms.

"What else would you be thinking about now?"

"Do you want a list?" Daisuke made himself more comfortable, running one finger down the arc of Ken's wing. "But I really was thinking about them. Something's bothering me."

He could almost feel Ken's amusement behind him but didn't look to see the smile he knew would be there. "What is it?"

Daisuke took a moment or two to put his thoughts into order. Saying it bothered him didn't cover the situation well enough. It _unnerved_ him in a way that made him avoid sleep altogether.

"They cut his throat. That should be enough to kill anyone, even a siren."

"With certain exceptions," Ken reminded him gently. But they both knew that under _normal_ circumstances, a siren was as vulnerable as anyone else to damage to the throat.

"That's just it. What if one of those exceptions happened?" Daisuke breathed in again and said what was on his mind. "If he'd just somehow miraculously survived, if someone found and healed him in the nick of time, that would be one thing. It could happen."

Ken nodded, saying nothing. Daisuke knew he listened, though. Ken always listened to him.

He'd been the first person who ever had, who'd accepted that Daisuke had something worthwhile to say in the first place.

So Daisuke made certain that when he did talk, he _did_ have something worth listening to. He would never let Ken down.

"But if that was what happened, then he wouldn't be setting off every mental and magical alarm that we've all got." Daisuke paused for a few seconds, putting more of it together and not liking the pattern on the verge of emerging.

Ken mused a little himself. "I've never met a siren before him, but from all that I know, they don't give off the kind of aura that he does. He's still a siren but he's something else as well."

"He didn't just get healed by someone like Miyako," Daisuke kept on. A phoenix could heal almost anything, if the person being healed hadn't already died. A few rumors held that death wasn't always a barrier to them, but no one knew the circumstances that could make that happen. "But he's still around."

The edges of Ken's hair brushed against the back of Daisuke's neck as the demon prince nodded. "What do we know that could do that?"

"Not much. Death doesn't let people go that easily. Only..."

Daisuke froze. He knew two cases where it could happen. If it had been the first, he would've known the moment he saw Yamato. His maker's aura couldn't be hidden, not from him.

The second one wasn't likely to make matters any better. He thought it would make them worse. If it had been his maker, then Daisuke and Ken both knew how to deal with that. But this…

"Daisuke?" Ken pressed closer to him, worry tinging his voice. "What is it?"

"Yamato's not alive. Not really, I don't think." Daisuke picked his way through the words. "Not like he should be. But he's not dead, either."

He could feel Ken tensing even more behind him. "You're sure?"

"No. I'd have to see it for myself. But I can't think of any other reason why he'd be like he is now. Can you?"

No reply for a few tense moments, and then Ken shook his head again. "No. But wouldn't a vampire need an invitation?"

Daisuke considered that before the answer clicked in. "The ball."

Ken tensed even more. "The invitation said that the only requirements needed were being of age and unmarried in order to court the prince. Yamato is definitely of age and he's not married."

"And he wants to court Taichi like nobody's business." Daisuke drew in a breath. So that would cover how he'd been able to enter the palace. He didn't know if invitations could be revoked. He didn't know if it should be. He didn't even know if he'd figured things out the right way.

What he did know was that if he was right, Taichi could be in more danger than they'd imagined possible since the siren returned.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,212||story: 10,607|| **Chapters:** 5/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

 _He's going to come back tonight._ Hikari didn't need to talk to her brother to know that. Their parents declared that the ball would last three nights and Taichi would have to suggest someone he wanted to spend more time around, with an eye to future marriage. Hikari hadn't ever been happier in her life than to already have Miyako in it.

 _We're probably going to have to either adopt someone to succeed, or look through the collateral lines to find someone suitable._

If things hadn't happened the way they had with Yamato, then his brother would've been eligible for the throne via marriage between Taichi and Yamato. But what had happened, _had_ happened and that made matters a thousand times more difficult.

Not the least of those difficulties being Yamato being around again and desiring something from her brother. Everything that had happened in the last couple of days made Hikari more and more nervous that even more was going to happen and none of it she knew how to stop.

That didn't mean she couldn't stop it. She wasn't going to let a siren just walk off with her brother, no matter what happened. Not even when that siren was Yamato.

 _So what can I do?_ A hundred thoughts rampaged their way through her mind, but none of them in any kind of order for her to make a choice.

All of that led to one thing for her: Hikari rose up from her bed and headed for the bathing room. It wasn't just time for a bath: it was time for a ritual.

Barefoot, bareheaded, wearing only a simple gown of white linen adorned in places with golden trim, she made her way to a very speciifc room.

Few people could enter here. Her brother could, if he wanted to, but he'd never been that interested in spiritual matters. Her parents could, but only came on special occasions. One or two of the cleaning servants, but they only came here for a few minutes a day and never for the purpose that she used it for now.

It wasn't a very big room. Gray stone on all four sides, but with two of them hung with finely woven tapestries depicting a glorious blonde warrior angel, holding a shimmering bow of golden energy in her hands. Stained glass decorated the third wall, once again showing the angel, this time with her hands held outward, as if granting blessings.

Set up on the fourth wall was an altar, with a single candle of pure white, set in a holder of silver, with a drape of white velvet over the altar itself.

Hikari approached with all due reverence, kneeling before the altar. She touched one finger to the candle and when she removed it, a brilliant flame rose upward.

"Angel of the Light," she murmured, gazing into the flame and focusing her thoughts. "Please help me if you can. I'm afraid for what's happened to my brother, and what's going to happen to him. Yamato's not who he used to be. I don't think he's our friend anymore." She paused, trying to work through it all. "I just want to help my brother. That's all. What can I do?"

Hikari didn't know if she should expect an answer. She'd never received one before, at least nothing beyond a vague indication that she should do this or that.

Which was why when the candle flame erupted into a beam of light fit to blind anyone but which she could see through all the same, she fell backwards with a cry of shock.

Feeling a gentle hand upon her shoulder did nothing at all to ease her confusion. For a moment, she saw a pair of bright blue eyes looking down at her, with a whisper of white wings behind them.

Then for another few moments, she saw nothing at all, but never once felt a scrap of danger. If anything, she knew if danger somehow threatened her, she would be absolutely safe. Nothing at all could harm her now.

When she opened her eyes, trying to see what had happened, she expected to find herself on the floor, overcome by … something. She didn't know what; nothing in the chapel area could have that kind of effect that she could remember.

What she actually found were a pair of warm, supportive arms around her, and the sensation of wings overhead.

"M-miyako?" She murmured; only Miyako would be in here and have wings, as far as she knew.

"No, my dear. I am not her." The voice wasn't one she recognized, but her heart beat in time with it anyway. Hikari blinked, trying to work through this.

"Who … who are you?" She started to move, turning her head, and blinked when she met a helmeted face. "Who are _you_?" She'd never before seen something like this…

Only… only she had, hadn't she? Wasn't it on the tapestries hung in this very room? Reflected in the stained glass here?

"Angel of Light?" Hikari scrambled to her feet and started to bow, only for that gloved hand to touch her shoulder again.

"You need not do that, Hikari. I've come to help you."

Hikari stared, trying to get her mind wrapped all around this and not certain of where to begin. There stood before her the beautiful Angel of Light that her people believed protected them in times of great danger. No one had ever claimed to have _seen_ the angel in person, though. Had she hit her head somehow? Was she dreaming this? Worse, had Yamato somehow convinced her that she was seeing this, to keep her away from Taichi?

"No, he hasn't." The Angel did not sound angry at _her_ , but her tone remained stern nevertheless. "His power cannot affect you, now that I am here."

Gentle fingers tilted her head up and despite the helmet, Hikari could still imagine eyes as blue as the sky looking down at her, eyes so full of love and light that her heart beat faster at the very thought of them.

"You may call me Angewomon." Her lips tilted for a brief smile. "It's easier for you to say than Angel of Light."

Hikari nodded, still more than a little dazed by all of this. Angewomon considered her for a few moments.

"You wanted help for your brother. I can provide that. But I must not take my true form outside of here except in very special circumstances. Nor may you tell anyone what I am. The power that stands against you is dangerous enough without knowing I'm here."

Hikari slowly nodded, processing what she heard as much as she could. "What can you do to help?"

"I can strike. Once and only once. What will help your brother the most is _you_ and what you can do, with me to guide you."

"What do you mean?"

The sight of an angel's smile swept away Hikari's doubts. "Let me show you."

* * *

No sooner had Yamato opened his eyes that evening did he know that his master wished his presence. When it came to vampirism, the only real perk Yamato thought it had was that he hadn't properly died and could thus find a way for him and Taichi to be together again, and to see his brother once he had the chance. He wanted that almost as much as he wanted Taichi.

But he didn't like almost anything else about it. He didn't like feeding off of human blood. He didn't like needed an invitation to enter the homes of the living. Nor did he like that Master Vamdemon could and would summon him at his leisure.

Whether he liked it or not, however, he rose up to his feet, brushed himself off, and headed to the throne room to see what his sire wished.

As always when Yamato found himself called here, Vamdemon sat on his throne. Thankfully today he didn't have one of his blood-pets at his side. Yamato's emotions weren't the same as they'd been when he was properly alive – something about undeath made that difficult – but he still found himself feeling sorry for the green-eyed boy who spent most of his awake time curled up at Vamdemon's feet waiting for the master to get hungry and not want to go out for dinner.

As was proper, Yamato paced himself to within three strides of the throne, then dropped down to his knees and lowered his head submissively. He didn't hear Vamdemon moving, but a few seconds later, that gloved hand brushed its way through his hair.

"Tonight is our night at last, my dear child," Vamdemon declared. Yamato couldn't move as long as Vamdemon kept touching him but he agreed. "I do not want you to feed before you attend the ball."

"Master?" That was new. The last two nights, Vamdemon made certain Yamato hunted until full-fed, for the express reason of not feeding on Taichi and alerting people in the palace of what it was that stalked their prince.

Still Vamdemon kept on touching his hair. Yamato did not like to admit it, but his hair and scalp had always been sensitive places for him. Only Taichi had ever known that before, and now Vamdemon. Like everything else he knew of Yamato over the last three years, he put it to good use.

"Tonight you will feast upon royal blood. And not just that of the prince, though you _will_ feed from him, and you will make certain, with that golden voice of yours, that no one interferes with you."

Yamato could not disobey. No vampire's child could disobey them. But he could protest, and he knew just what to say.

"Master, I will obey, but there are those attending the ball who aren't subject to my voice. I've seen them." Seen them and refused to go near them, not trusting instincts or intellect when it came to people he couldn't control with his voice and wasn't certain of his vampiric ability to overpower. "Princess Sora, Princess Mimi, Lady Miyako. Prince Ken and Daisuke." Those were just the ones that he'd seen and recognized. He focused enough on Taichi that others could be there and he'd just not noticed.

Vamdemon laughed, a sound that grated against Yamato's ears. "Tell the humans to keep them away from you, silly boy. They won't want to hurt them." His hand slipped down from Yamato's hair to cup his chin and tilt his head back so their eyes met. "You're not going to disappoint me. You will bring your prince back here to me, and you will have fed from him. But he will dine upon _my_ blood before dawn."

Yamato started to reply, but Vamdemon cut him off before the first word.

"You will also bring me your brother. Unharmed." A slow smile, one that twisted Vamdemon's features in a way that made Yamato's fingers ache for a stake no matter how much it would hurt him to hold it. "And this is what you will tell him. Nothing more, nothing less."

The words Vamdemon whispered made him want to jump up and _strangle_ Vamdemon, stakes optional. He didn't know if a vampire could die of strangulation but he thought Vamdemon would be a perfect target for finding out.

Unfortunately, wanting and having weren't the same thing and all he could do was bow his head with Vamdemon's permission and murmur his acceptance of his orders.

 _Vamdemon won't hurt him,_ he told himself as he began his way out of the throne room, dismissed to prepare himself for the ball. Without hunting, he had more time to himself than the last two nights. All he could think to do right now was try to convince himself that obeying his orders would work out for the best.

He wasn't doing a very good job of it. Up until now he hadn't had any real issues with following his orders. Yes, he didn't like feeding off the living. But the math there was simple: if he didn't, he couldn't survive, and if he didn't survive, then he and Taichi wouldn't have any chance at all together.

And the only chance that they could ever have would be if Taichi wasn't human anymore. Only when that happened, _only_ when Taichi wasn't affected by his siren song anymore would he genuinely trust that Taichi's emotions hadn't changed over the years.

He'd have to get rid of that ring, too, but he had a few ideas about that. Nothing he could try until Taichi wasn't in the palace anymore, but once he could make a few attempts, he would.

He also had a few ideas on what to do to the archmage for stripping Taichi of his memories of their time together and if _that_ had been Vamdemon's orders, he would have accepted gleefully.

But that wasn't absolutely impossible even now. Perhaps Taichi would like to share, once they'd settled their other issues.

For now, though, he made his preparations and tried not to dwell on his orders concerning Takeru. He told himself over and over that Vamdemon wouldn't harm him, not in the long run.

He wished his voice worked on himself. Maybe then he would believe himself.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,111||story: 12,718|| **Chapters:** 6/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Just as it had the last two nights, the palace glittered with light of every kind possible: lanterns, candles, shimmering crystals created by magic, even places where all of those failed and moonlight or starlight alone lit the darkness. Guards stood in all the most strategic places outside as well, not so much that people couldn't wander through, but enough that a mouse would've had problems doing anything underhanded without being seen.

In front of the large double doors that led to the ballroom, there were even _more_ guards, and extra servants who scrutinized everyone. No one complained; there were enough people in attendance those first nights to know why the king and queen fretted so much.

"Maybe he won't come tonight? He has to know what the security is like," one guardsman murmured to another as they watched the line of attendees flow in. "Just because he got in last night doesn't mean he will tonight, does it?"

The other shook her head. "I don't know. I don't see why they just don't order us to kill him on sight. Or at least shoot _at_ him. Let him know he's not welcome."

"I don't think he cares. He's not here for us. He's here for the Prince."

"All the more reason to let him know he won't have Prince Taichi."

"Really?" A soft, almost whispered voice filtered down from the balcony above them. Both looked up, crossbows raising as they did. "Stop that."

They did.

Yamato dropped down between them and shook his head. He didn't like this, but his orders remained absolute. "You're not to hurt me or Prince Taichi or my brother in any way."

He could see the anger in their eyes. Just because they obeyed the siren's song didn't mean they liked it. But he kept going. "You'll make certain that no one else attempts to hurt us as well. You will defend us no matter what, until we're out of the kingdom completely." He drew in a very unneeded breath. "If anyone asks, you never saw me here. But come if I call you. Now, As you were."

Both guards moved aside, letting him move onward. He stayed mostly out of sight until he reached the next set of guards. He didn't have to worry too much about them; they were all human, and all vulnerable to his voice.

He wouldn't make them serve him forever. Vamdemon hadn't demanded that, and he didn't even know if he could. He knew from practice his voice would control them for hours to come, but aside from that? He could only do his best.

He didn't convert them all. He didn't have time; he needed to go find Takeru and Taichi and get ready to leave from here before it grew too late. They had a lot of ground to cover before sunrise and while he could do it easily enough alone, having them alone would slow him down.

Yamato stood in the castle's shadow, considering what he saw. The supernatural royalty wandered through the ballroom, chatting as if this were any normal night. They would be far more dangerous to him than anyone else, especially Ken and Daisuke.

They hadn't bothered him so far. He didn't know for sure if they even knew what he was now. He wasn't going to ask. Maybe, maybe once this was all over and he and Taichi had sorted through things…

He wanted _his_ Taichi back, the one who would love him because he wanted to, not something not far removed from an animated doll, not the one subject to his cursed voice. At least Vamdemon's plan would help with _that_.

First things first.

Movement and music caught his attention and an idea flickered full formed into his mind. _Perfect_.

Before very long he stood in the shadows of the band of musicians hired to perform. He hadn't sung in _so_ long. He cleared his throat and one and all, the band members turned to look at him curiously.

"Hello," Yamato said with a fanged smile. "I'm your new lead singer tonight."

* * *

All throughout the ball room there rang an undertone of nervous tension, especially for those who knew Yamato would be there at some point. The king and queen wandered through the room, sometimes taking a small turn when the music called for it, but mostly keeping an eye on Taichi, who very clearly paid no attention to either of them.

"We shouldn't have let him come tonight," the queen murmured. "It's too dangerous."

"The monster would only take him from his room, dear. You've seen how obsessed he is. We'll lure the creature in here and have it all done by midnight."

She pressed her lips together. "I hope your idea works."

For a moment a small smile teased at his lips. "So do I."

* * *

The music slowly drew to an end, and a new figure stepped to the forefront of the band, accompanied by one of the musicians. "Everyone, we have a special treat for you, tonight only. In honor of his Highness Prince Taichi, we've taken on a temporary new singer."

Curious eyes looked toward them all at that. Shock ran throughout the room as the new arrival lifted his head and stared at them all from brilliant blue eyes.

"Yamato!" Taichi started to move forward, but in a matter of seconds, half a dozen armed guards stood between the two of them. Yamato's eyes narrowed as he focused his attention on the group.

"Get out of his way."

Instead of obeying his orders, however, the guards raised spears and crossbows, all pointed directly at Yamato.

The king stepped forward, determination in every move. "Monster, you have one chance to leave this place, without my son, and to go unharmed. If you make any other move, my guards will execute you."

Yamato's lips twitched, though not a single bit of humor showed in his eyes. "You already tried to kill me once. What makes you think it would work any better now?"

"Because this time, we're going to make certain that your head is severed from your body. That should take care of whatever foul magery it is that brought you back the first time."

For a moment Yamato didn't move at all. Then he smiled, a very slow smile that held not a trace of mirth in it. "Taking my head isn't as easy as you may think." He tilted his head back. "Taichi, come to me."

No sooner had he spoken the words then the king made a quick gesture and the guards moved more tightly around Taichi. Yamato pressed his lips together.

"Move."

"They won't listen to you. Your power, Yamato, works only on those who can hear you and none of them can hear a thing."

From one side the archmage stepped, hands behind his back, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "It's best if you leave."

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't," Yamato bit the words off as he pulled himself to his full height. "My orders are absolute."

Soft murmurs raced through the crowd at that. Who could order a siren, who could order any mortal to do as he pleased?

But Yamato didn't let them dwell on it. He darted forward, quicker than the eye could follow, aiming for Taichi. The soldiers who couldn't hear him ended up thrown to the side as if they were little more than children's toys.

"Yamato," Taichi murmured, staring at him as if he didn't even notice anything else Yamato did. The siren touched his shoulder briefly before wrapping one arm around him and looking in every direction.

"All of you!" He snapped, and the guards he'd spoken to before now moved in closer, eagerly attendant to his every word. "Keep them distracted and out of my way."

"That isn't going to work on us, Yamato," another voice spoke before the enspelled contingent could move much farther, one he recognized from just the night before.

One by one they came, each moving as smoothly as could be. Sora, cupid's wings folded against her back; Mimi, vibrantly full of the life of the earth as only a dryad could be; Miyako, in human form but glowing brilliantly in the colors of a phoenix; Ken, his leathery wings spread out and talons ready to do battle; Daisuke, looking no different from usual, but with a serious gleam in his eyes that bespoke danger.

And not that far behind them, Yamato could feel something else, or someone else, and more than any of the others, it sent chills all through him. Power hid there, power that dwarfed his, power that dwarfed _Vamdemon's_ , and the one shining thought in his mind was just to get away from it as fast as he could.

All right. So that was what he would do. His eyes darted back and forth. He needed only one more piece to finish his mission and then they could consort with whatever divine powers it pleased them to, he wouldn't care.

"I don't care if it doesn't work on you or not. You're not why I'm here."

"We know why you're here," Sora said. "We're not going to let you have him. Not the way you are now."

"You can't fly your way out of here. We can follow you," Miyako added, her own wings flickering briefly. "You've only got until sunrise."

"That's time enough." It wasn't yet midnight, but he had to have enough time. He wouldn't let on that they might be right.

Worse, time for something else crunched in on him. As close as he was now to Taichi, he could all but smell that rich blood running around in his veins, and he hadn't thought about how _hungry_ he was until now. He had to get out and feed.

His mind raced. He had to figure a way out of this. _The guards will keep those ones out of my way. Sora and the others, they're who I have to worry about now._

He wished that he had some of the abilities Vamdemon did. Being able to summon a swarm of bats could've come in _very_ handy. But all he could do was fly and drink blood. He _was_ stronger than any human, but only when he'd fed properly and he hadn't tonight. Wait…

He ran over his master's orders in his mind. This would run probably the worst risk of the night. He'd wanted to wait until they'd left the castle altogether, but it didn't look as if he had a choice.

Quick as a lash he turned toward Taichi. "Answer me truthfully, Taichi. What would you let me do to you, so we can get out of here together?"

"Anything." It came without a moment of hesitation. Yamato smiled ruefully to himself. It was the truth, but not the way he wished he could've had it.

 _And if I don't get him out of here, we're not going to get it any other way._

One hand pressed Taichi's neck to the side. Yamato's head snapped forward, burying suddenly revealed fangs. He drank.

Oh. So this was what Taichi's blood tasted like.

He'd heard tales of nectar and ambrosia, the foodstuffs of all divine beings. Surely that couldn't begin to compare what he tasted now.

He could hear other voices now, ones shouting to stop him, to end this obscenity, to release Taichi. He ignored them all in favor of drinking.

* * *

Takeru raced through the castle corridors. He'd missed the ball the last two nights, but now that he'd heard about Yamato, he just had to get there and see him. From the confusion and noise ahead, something wild was going down.

"Be careful," a small voice murmured from on top of his head. He cast his eyes up there for a moment and smiled.

"Don't worry, Patamon, I will be." He'd only known the strange creature for a few months, but already he counted him among his best friends. He could hardly wait to introduce him to Yamato. He could hardly wait to find out how Yamato _survived_.

Then he burst his way past a group of servants, stumbled to a halt at the sight of some of the supernatural royalty in a line, and spied Hikari in one corner, a strange white cat he'd never seen before by her side.

But then most of all he saw Prince Taichi, slumped against Yamato, arms wrapped loosely around the blond's waist, and an expression of the most wondrous rapture on his face.

And on Yamato's mouth, bright red bloodstains, and rapture that matched Taichi's. Takeru swallowed. Stared.

"Big brother?"

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,048||story: 14,766|| **Chapters:** 7/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Takeru's throat dried up. His hands drifted upward in confusion, then fell back down, opening and closing, but nothing more.

He couldn't be seeing what he thought he saw. That couldn't be Yamato. Yamato wouldn't _do_ something like this in the first place. Yamato wasn't...he couldn't…

He didn't bite people. He didn't have fangs to bite them _with_.

And he wasn't even supposed to be alive in the first place.

 _I never saw him dead. I never believed it._ All of that happened before he had a chance to talk to his brother about that whole 'siren' thing. He'd searched for the body, wanting to see it for himself, no matter how much his heart would break at the sight.

But there hadn't been any sign of it, and ever since, Takeru held onto a dwindling hope that somehow, his brother was out there somewhere. His desire to find evidence became desire to _never_ find evidence, because if he never saw a body, then Yamato could still be alive.

This wasn't life. This wasn't death.

Takeru stumbled forward, swallowing, head spinning. Yamato lifted his head up and licked his lips, pulling Taichi closer to him at the same moment. He turned and saw Takeru.

For a moment, Takeru thought that he saw regret in those familiar blue eyes. Familiar and not at the same time. Those were his brother's eyes but Yamato didn't look like he should, not with the blood still marking his features.

"Takeru." His brother's voice, edged with a power that Takeru hadn't heard before. He started forward again, then pitched to a halt.

"Yamato, what are you doing?" That was a stupid question, Takeru told himself, but he wanted to hear it right from Yamato's mouth. The one that had fangs in it.

He wanted to find out he'd dreamed this all somehow. Nightmares weren't uncommon since what happened to his brother. They'd only really eased off since he'd met Patamon…

"Takeru," Patamon whispered, tiny paws tightening on his head. "You should get out of here."

Yamato spoke before Takeru could move another step. "Takeru, come over here. I've got something I need to tell you."

Takeru's first instincts said to do just that, to go see what his brother wanted. Why would he not?

But then Patamon piped up again. "Don't do it, Takeru!"

Yamato glanced at the small creature, eyes darkening for a heartbeat. "What business is it of yours what I tell my brother? We haven't seen each other in too long."

"I don't think you're planning on a reunion!" Patamon declared, gripping onto Takeru even more. "So what is it that you really want?"

Patamon's question brought a devastating silence to the ball room. Human or supernatural, everyone stared at Yamato, who raised his head in defiance.

"What I want? What I want is Taichi and I together, like we should've been, like we _both wanted_ before you -" Yamato pointed now at the king and queen, "decided that because of something I couldn't control and didn't know I _was_ until I _saved his life_ , I deserved to _die_."

Taichi stirred a little, but Yamato brushed his fingers against his forehead and murmured something no one else could hear. Taichi leaned back, eyes closed, far too pale for anyone's liking, but those who looked close could see that his chest still rose and fell. It wasn't too late. At least not yet.

Yamato cast a look around the room. "But it's not what I want that you should worry about. It's what my _master_ wants."

If silence filled the room before, now not a single breath could be heard. Yamato himself broke it.

"You'll find that out soon enough. Right now, though, Takeru, come _here_."

Takeru's feet stumbled forward only once before Patamon pressed down on him once more.

"Takeru! You don't have to listen to him! Trust me!" He leaned in closer and murmured so low that only Takeru could've heard him. "Not as long as I'm with you. I'll protect you."

Takeru shook his head, trying to clear it from the fog of confusion spun by seeing his brother like this and hearing that mesmerizing voice. He knew what a siren was; he should've been right over there already. But the more Patamon spoke, the more the simple fact of _he didn't have to_ rang clear.

"Takeru!" Yamato snapped out his name with far more command in it before, and still Takeru didn't move.

But Patamon did. He raised himself a little upward, while still keeping his grip on Taichi, and glared at Yamato.

"As long as I'm with him, you can't make him do what you want!"

Yamato's grip tightened around Taichi. The glare he leveled at Patamon could've peeled him raw if it were just an ounce or two stronger. He didn't bother with any witty parting remarks, only kept a stronger grip on Taichi and took to the air, quick as he could manage.

Ken, Daisuke, Miyako, Mimi, and Sora followed after, but it didn't take long for Mimi and Sora to drop back down, both looking more than a little furious.

"We lost him. It's too dark out there for us," Sora reported. "Ken, Daisuke, and Miyako are going to keep going. They see in the dark better than we can."

Mimi stepped over to Takeru, who now held Patamon in his arms. "I don't think we've met," she said, giving both of them a curious examination. "Mimi, Princess of the Southern Forest Dryads."

"Sora, Princess of the Western Cupids," Sora introduced herself as well. "You're his brother, aren't you?"

"Yes." Takeru's gaze followed the invisible track through the sky his brother followed, completely out of sight now. "At least I was. How...what happened to him?"

"As near as we can tell, after his execution, a vampire found him, and turned him. He must not have been all the way dead. Vampires can't turn the dead." Sora let out a deep sigh. "I wish we knew something else. Anything else. Like who his 'master' is."

"His master is Vamdemon." The words came from the small white cat that stood beside Hikari as the young princess came over to join them.

Patamon perked his head up at the sight of her. "An – Tailmon! What are you doing here?"

"The same as you. Protecting someone." Large blue eyes turned up to Hikari, then back to the group there, now joined by the king and queen.

The king could not have been paler if he'd tried. "You said, Vamdemon?"

"Yes." Tailmon nodded, arms now crossed over her white-furred chest. "He is who found Yamato, almost dead, and transformed him into what he is now. Yamato is his tool for revenge against your kingdom."

"Revenge?" Mimi tilted her head, curiosity lighting her brilliant eyes. "What happened?"

The king closed his own eyes for a few heartbeats. "The reason for the law against sirens in this land is because several generations ago, one of my ancestors found himself under the power of one. The war that burst from this ravaged all the lands around for decades to come. Everyone believed at the time that the siren perished on the battlefield. But the tale was passed down from parent to child that the siren rose up again from that battlefield and vanished into a swarm of bats, after swearing vengeance upon the kingdom."

He shook his head, eyes flickering first to Hikari then to where Yamato and Taichi vanished out of sight. "I'd hoped that it truly was nothing more than a story, but when Yamato's powers manifested themselves, I couldn't take any chances. I hoped that if Taichi didn't remember what happened, he would come to believe I did the right thing." His head drooped even more, his voice little more than a whisper. "I thought I did the right thing."

Hikari's voice was as soft as his own. "Once we get Taichi back, then you need to take the ring off of him. He has to know. Let him decide what he wants to do, and who he wants to be with."

"Is there any way that we can get Yamato to be...himself again?" Takeru wanted to know. "I don't think we can make him human again. I hear vampirism is pretty… permanent."

"It is." Patamon nodded. "But what we need to do is break the ties between him and Vamdemon. If we can do that, then he'll be able to make his own decisions on what he does."

Sora ran her fingers through her hair, thinking. "I didn't know him before, but I think if we can free him, he won't be a bad person. He might even be someone you'd like to have married to your son, your Majesty."

The king said nothing, only pressed his lips together for a handful of heartbeats. The queen answered instead.

"Before, he and Taichi couldn't have been closer to one another. If none of this had happened, I think we would've celebrated their wedding already." Steel glittered in her eyes. "What happens now will depend on what we learn in the future."

* * *

Miyako's wings stroked through the cool night air. She could tell that Ken and Daisuke flew ahead of her; they had to, in order to keep their sight in the shadows. All around her there glowed the brilliant light that forged every phoenix, making her unmistakeable in the darkness.

"Is there any way you can tone that down?" Daisuke asked, dropping back just enough so he didn't have to yell. "They're going to know we're coming."

"No. And if they're focused on me, they won't notice _you_." Miyako would've rolled her eyes if she could. No sooner had she cleared the roof of the palace, but she'd transformed into her full phoenix form. She could fly swift enough as it was, but with her larger wingspan, she could keep up with Ken and Daisuke, both of whom had the power of the night in their wings.

Perks of being a demon prince and whatever it was that Daisuke was.

One day they'd find out, if he ever chose to tell them.

But for now, it was a lot more important to find out what they could do to help Taichi and Yamato. There was still so much they didn't know, but they couldn't let Yamato take Taichi back to his master, whoever that was.

 _We might not be able to do that. But at least we'll know where they are. I hope._

There just wasn't any way they could let Yamato flicker off with Taichi and do nothing about it. So they tracked him through the skies.

It wasn't easy. Miyako could see as if it were daylight, though a very cloudy day indeed. She didn't know how Ken and Daisuke saw, but as none of them lost their way, they saw enough.

She had no idea of how long they'd flown or what time it was or even where they were, other than the mountains that rose on the far edges of Taichi's kingdom. She adjusted to the winds rising there quickly and took another look to orient herself.

"I didn't know anyone lived out here," she murmured to herself. Did vampires live in caves or houses? Caves couldn't be comfortable, but everything she knew indicated they would need to hide from the sun, and that might be better than a house.

Wherever they lived, it wasn't far away. It couldn't be, not with Yamato now moving downward, Taichi still clinging to him. Miyako spiraled to slow herself down, eyes now focused relentlessly on their target. She didn't like attacking, but she had no choice. Yamato stayed high enough that they didn't dare do so until now, not wanting to risk Taichi falling before any of them could catch him. But now he moved in closer and the fall wouldn't be so bad…

"We need an invitation to enter _mortal_ homes, but you think you can enter _mine_ at will, phoenix?" It wasn't a voice she knew, but now in between them and Yamato there stood a tall creature, gray of skin and gold of hair. In his hands power glowed and she had no more chance to see anything else, before pain filled her world.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,071||story: 16,837|| **Chapters:** 8/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

 _Phoenixes. Almost as annoying as angels._ Vamdemon conjured a blast of scarlet energy that lashed against the annoying creature's wings and back, sending gold and violet feathers spinning through the early morning air. The phoenix bucked and swirled, wings flapping in a vain attempt to get the air under them once again.

"Release Taichi and Yamato!" The phoenix declared, dropping a little in height to recover balance. "Then we won't have any reason to stay around!"

Vamdemon snorted at the very idea. "Both of them are my property. Do you release your slaves just because some intruder demands it?"

"My people don't have slaves in the first place!" She circled around, gaining height now, but he could see where the marks of his power touched her. Not good enough, he decided. It wouldn't be good enough until she either died or fled his territory never to return.

It would be one or the other. He had no reason to keep someone like her around.

"Regardless, what's mine is mine, and I keep what is mine." He lashed out once again, this time shifting the energy so it came in razor-edged darts, all aimed at her. She dodged, wings flapping even faster, and he directed them to chase her.

She wasn't alone. He'd seen the demon prince and his constructed toy flying along with her. But Yamato would take care of them, if his child knew what was good for him. Vamdemon already had a few words he wished to say to him, concerning why his new pet wasn't there with them.

He gave no more time to bantering with the phoenix. He wanted her out of his airspace before the sun rose. Here the light wouldn't touch until well past then, but he had much that he needed to do and the more time he had to handle matters, the better.

But Miyako wasn't one easily dispatched. She spun and danced with the wind, ignoring the pain as his bloody shards dug deep into her. He could see pain in her eyes and reveled in it. But it wasn't enough, not even close.

He pulled himself back to get a better look at his enemy. In only a few moments, he had her bleeding and pained. He could vanish when he chose, returning to the depths of his hideaway where no one could find him. She might even survive the encounter, and perhaps would be wiser when it came to challenging those greater than she.

But he didn't want that. Not at all.

Between one breath and the next he held long spears of shimmering scarlet energy in his hands. He threw them toward the phoenix as she aimed herself toward him, anticipating the flow of blood and the cries of pain.

Miyako wrenched herself out of the way in seconds, casting herself higher in the air, then folded her wings close against her body and plummeted toward him, talons spread outward.

Glittering golden energy gathered at the tips, energy that sent him spiraling backwards as he realized just what it was: concentrated sunlight. He had no idea of what her range was, but just seeing it sent a howl clawing at his throat. If he'd been closer to human, he might have even sprung into a cold sweat.

As it was, fear and rage both twisted inside of him, the rage stoked by the fear. How _dare_ anyone try this! How dare she bring sunlight so close to _his_ home!

All of that passed through his mind in a matter of instants. He swept backwards, concentrating in an attempt to disrupt the attack before she released it. He could affect the powers of other to some degree; he'd had to work hard with his teacher to accomplish that, but he'd achieved it. If it had been anything else, he had no doubt he could've succeeded.

But sunlight burst forth from her claws and her wings snapped forward, even more light blazing forward, and Vamdemon spun backwards, wordless screeches of impotent fury spewing forth from his lips.

He dropped down farther, but more under his own control. The edges of his cape singed, the mask he'd chosen to wear centuries earlier bent, his uniform crisp in a way he did not approve of. But now they hung over the mountains, with the sunlight creeping up on the farther side, and the shadows stretching farther out beneath them, welcoming him in their embrace.

 _Always darkest before the dawn._ He smiled. He would not take her blood. The blood of a holy creature tasted foul beyond words, but he had more than one way to recover his strength, and he didn't think that she knew about it.

It took a few seconds to focus, and he hated that it took that time at all. Every moment he wasn't fighting her was another moment she spent gathering the energy to strike at him.

He'd never fought a phoenix before. He knew of them only from what the occasional traveler he lured into his lair would speak of, and the stories never were consistent with one another. Add in that she wasn't _entirely_ phoenix and thus could not be as predictable as one who was, and he had a fight on his hands that he didn't like in the slightest.

But he dropped farther into the shadows and called for what he wanted, moments before a sunlight powered beam sliced into the darkness and caught him across the shoulder, sending him spinning and slamming into the mountainside.

Vamdemon breathed harder, though he knew he had no true need to breathe in the first place. But when one has been slammed against a ton of rock by a force that could well kill one and hadn't only by not being hit dead on, then _anyone_ needs a breath.

 _I'm going to kill her._ No. Worse. He would find that which she loved the most and kill them in front of her. He wouldn't even bother to raise them as one of his own. Whoever it was, they would serve as his feast while the phoenix, wings clipped and powers muted by dark chains, watched helplessly.

He would _have this_ and nothing would stop him.

* * *

Miyako peered through the shadows, trying her best to ignore the pain. It wasn't easy; it was barely even possible. But focusing on attacking Vamdemon helped. A little. If she didn't need to stop him so much, she would've just spun out of there and returned to get herself patched up. But doing that would unleash him on Ken and Daisuke and she wouldn't do that.

She didn't like fighting. She'd _never_ liked fighting. That was something she and Hikari had in common. But there wasn't any point in trying to reason with someone like Vamdemon. He wouldn't listen and he wouldn't care and he'd only continue to hurt others to get whatever it was that he wanted.

In all truth, she didn't know what he wanted now. Something to do with Taichi, but other than that? That was another reason she wanted to go back to the palace; perhaps the others knew something more, something that would help work through all of this mess.

Yet until she had some way to ensure that Vamdemon wouldn't be able to follow and could do no more damage, at least until after sunrise when he wouldn't be able to get out of his lair, she didn't dare abandon this battle.

She tilted her wings, flexed her claws, and shot another blast of collected sunlight down into the darkness, lighting up the area to see what was down there. She could see in the dark, but there was something different about these shadows. Something that made her wary of moving closer to them.

Her light faded, far too quickly, and fingers of fear ruffled themselves through her wings. _Where is he? He should be down there, but I can't see him._

Everything had been at least reasonable so far in this fight. He flinched away from her sunlight. He'd drawn blood from her with his own attacks. She didn't like that part, but it happened, nevertheless. But now he wasn't there. Nowhere for her to see…

Could he have already fled inside, out of sight of the sun? That wasn't such an outrageous idea.

"I should go look for Daisuke and Ken," she muttered to herself, a deep weariness flooding through her. She'd lost him. It wasn't the ending she'd projected; that had involved more sunlight and more utter defeat of him, or at least something she could understand as an ending. Not him just fading out of sight altogether.

She gathered herself up and beat her wings, aiming for the clear sky above her, just a short distance away. She'd flown and fought tonight harder than she ever had before and she looked forward to some rest.

Darkness closed above her, blocking the sight of the morning blue sky. This wasn't the darkness of night, but a choking, thick shadow that wrapped itself around her, tightening to the point she couldn't move her wings or talons or beak.

"You enter my lair uninvited, then you accept the consequences that come," Vamdemon said, rising in front of her. She struggled harder at the sight of him. He smiled at the sight of her resistance, the darkness tightening with little more than a flick of one finger.

When she'd lost sight of him, he'd been injured. Her sunlight strikes scorched him all over. But now he stood as if none of that had ever happened, as if she'd foolishly entered his lair and he'd had the advantage from the start.

That wasn't true and she would not let herself think that at all. No matter what, she wouldn't give in like that.

"I've heard it said that a phoenix can revive from death itself," Vamdemon said. He perched on a rock not that far from her and gave her a thoughtful look. "I find myself quite tempted to find out of that's true."

She could see the darkness around her as something more than darkness now, as thick chains of shadow that bound her all over. No way to move, no way to fly, no way to strike or attack or speak. Here the sun couldn't reach, giving the monster a safe haven to torment her in.

"I could keep you in a cage and make you watch what I have in mind for that little prince. He's going to scream _so much_ before I'm through with him. Just like his ancestor did so long ago. You may rest assured that I will enjoy his pain long before I make him one of my own. But just as his ancestor did, he will kneel at my feet and call me 'master'."

One gloved hand wrapped itself around her beak, tilting her head up forcibly so their eyes met. "But I will do things even worse to you. They will never see their prince again, but I will send a warning back. You, little bird, will carry my warning to them. My warning for what I am capable of and what will happen if they continue to annoy me." He smiled, and she could see fresh blood on his fangs.

 _He fed!_ That explained more than she wished it did. A fresh feeding always enhanced a vampire's powers. She wiggled as much as she could, but only a few feathers, loosened by the attacks before, came free. From the way his smile widened, he could feel not only her fear but her rage. How had he done that? Did he have prisoners they didn't know about? So much that they didn't know at all and the idea of what could happen to Ken and Daisuke shot another jolt of terror through her.

"You don't need to worry about me taking your blood. Holy blood is filth to me. But I wish to try an experiment." Vamdemon raised his other hand and clenched it into a fist. The chains around her tightened until it was all she could do to take even the most shallow of breaths. "Let me see how close to death I can take the beast that can't die." He leaned closer, avid cruelty in his eyes, the reek of blood on his breath. "Let me find out what it takes to make _you_ scream."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,115||story: 18,952|| **Chapters:** 9/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

"Miyako's in trouble," Daisuke murmured, flicking a glance over his shoulder. He wanted to go back and help her, but they weren't that far away from Taichi and Yamato. Going back would mean they'd lose track of their target.

Ken hovered in the air for a moment, as split as Daisuke himself. Then he steeled himself, though Daisuke could tell he didn't like what he was about to say.

"She's tough enough to handle herself. We'll help once we get this settled."

Neither of them liked the choice they had to make. But this was a realm of darkness and a phoenix was a creature of light. If Miyako couldn't handle herself here, then who could?

Up ahead, Yamato hovered just on the edge of the shadows of morning. Taichi hadn't moved much, as far as Daisuke could tell, but what that meant he couldn't figure out yet.

"What's he doing?" Ken wondered, eyes narrowed. "I don't like this."

Yamato cast a glance behind him, directly toward them. He'd not given a hint all through the chase on if he knew they were there or not, until now. They weren't close enough to see his expression, but Daisuke didn't think it would be one he wanted to see.

Then, quick as a flicker of lightning, Yamato dropped out of sight, shadows enfolding all around him. Daisuke bit off a few words that weren't usually repeatable in the presence of high-ranking royalty and darted forward to see if he could find a trace of their target.

"What are those?" All he could see were tiny pin-pricks of light against the shadows, and there weren't very many of them. Perhaps just two or three.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear that they were windows," Ken said, floating next to Daisuke and examining the lights as well. "Come on, let's be careful."

As always, he kept a reign on Daisuke's urge to rush ahead and do whatever he could in the noisiest fashion possible. As annoying as that could be, Daisuke admitted it had its points.

The closer they got, the better they could see what spread out beneath them in the darkness cast by the mountain itself, tucked into a fold of the mountain's arms. 'Spread out' probably wasn't the proper term, but there stood a castle, dark and foreboding, concealed to the point that even in full daylight, few passers-by would've realized it was there in the first place.

"They must've gone inside," Daisuke decided after a few fruitless moments of looking and seeing no one, not even the faintest trace of a magical essence around.

Ken nodded slowly, eyes narrowed. "What do you think? Try to get inside and see if we can find them or find Miyako and go back to the palace?"

As far as Daisuke was concerned, the best chance was to keep going until they found a better reason to return than 'we can't see them right now'. He threw a look over one shoulder, still worried about Miyako, mostly because both of them could hear the clash of battle behind them, faintly but there. It didn't sound as if it were going well.

But ahead lay Taichi, still under Yamato's spell, and with the threat of Yamato's master hanging over him. That could and would be even more dangerous.

Caution didn't come easily to Daisuke. That was one of the things he depended on Ken for. He didn't usually _need_ caution for himself anyway. But for people who weren't like him, without certain of his advantages…

"Let's find Miyako and _then_ go in there," he decided. That would probably work for the best. They'd have more back-up and Miyako could probably light the whole place up with a single swing of her wings.

Both of them turned and started back the way they'd come. Little more than three heartbeats passed before a blond figure shot from somewhere unseen, clawed fingers digging into Ken's shoulders.

"Leave us alone!" Yamato hissed, voice containing none of the charm of a siren. It wouldn't have done him any good, so he probably wasn't even going to try. "This is your only warning!"

Ken bucked and squirmed, scrambling to get to his attacker. Daisuke snarled a wordless cry and darted forward, slamming one knee into Yamato's back and grinding it in.

"Leave Ken alone!" He could take all the damage that he wanted and come out with little more than a few bruises. He would not let harm come to Ken.

Yamato swiped at him, but didn't have the leverage or the positioning to really do anything, and Daisuke slammed fists and feet into him harder and harder.

"Daisuke! Off!" Ken snapped, slamming one elbow into Yamato's stomach and writhing out of his grip a moment later. Daisuke didn't even think about the order, just dropped the vampire-siren like a hot rock and rose up several feet, getting out of the way of what he knew was coming.

Yamato had only a few seconds to grasp why he suddenly wasn't getting beaten from the back. That was because Ken suddenly held a whip of light in his hands, one he wielded with the skill of an expert, slashing at him.

Yamato spun backwards, a thin line of red on his cheek, that vanished after a moment or two. One finger traced it before he delivered a faintly amused look toward the both of them.

"An interesting trick, demon, but it will take more than that to truly damage me." His eyes narrowed a bit. "But I wouldn't have guessed that a _demon prince_ could wield a weapon of light."

"Yeah, we're both just full of surprises," Daisuke replied. He tossed his head, moving to stand on air next to Ken. "So before we feel like we need to show them all off, we'll take Taichi and that's it."

Yamato shook his head. "How many times do I need to explain this to you? My master wants him. My master will have him. There's nothing that either of you can do to stop Master Vamdemon."

Ken caught his breath. "Vamdemon? I should've guessed he was behind this."

"You know the guy?"

A light shrug rippled Ken's shoulders. "Sort of. He and my father know each other." The side of his mouth quirked up in a way that Daisuke had long ago learned meant Ken wasn't especially thrilled about what he intended to say. " _Very_ well."

Somehow, that didn't make anything one bit better so far as Daisuke felt about the matter. He shook his head to try to clear the images out of it. "Anything you know that can help?"

"Nothing I can think of off -" Ken broke off, eyes widening. "Yes, but I need to talk to someone who isn't here right now." He flicked his gaze back to Yamato. "He isn't, is he? Jou's not here, is he?"

Yamato shrugged, the faintest hints of confusion in his eyes. "Not that I think it matters, but there's no one here who isn't loyal to my master."

"We could argue about that for a while, but let's not. You're not going to give us Taichi back." Ken didn't say it as a question, but diamond determination rang through his voice regardless. "But we'll get him back, and we'll get _you_ back as well."

"I don't think you know what you're talking about." Yamato shrugged again and this time followed it up with a sharp strike aimed right for Ken. The demon prince dodged out of the way and flicked a sword into existence with a simple move of one hand. "Mortal weapons don't work on a vampire, demon prince. You should know that."

"I do." Ken raised the blade, aiming down it at Yamato. "But this isn't a mortal weapon. This is something I inherited from my father."

Yamato flinched back at that, dark blue eyes widening before darting all around in search of an escape route. Daisuke tried not to snicker. Inherited demon weapons were rare, even among those demons who sired or bore offspring in the first place, and there wasn't much that they _couldn't_ harm.

He honestly didn't know if vampires existed on that small list or not – he knew that he did to a degree – but clearly Yamato at least didn't like the notion of being hit by this.

Then Yamato froze, head cocked to the side as if listening to a distant voice. Ken did not waste his chance, but shot forward, sharp blade ready. Daisuke knew he'd regret whatever harm he did, but that was outweighed by the good he'd do.

Then Yamato wasn't there anymore, dropped down into the darkness, no sign at all that he'd been there at all aside from the various aches and pains from the brief fight. There wasn't a single sign that he'd come back, either.

"What was _that_ about?" Daisuke wondered, every sense he possessed tuned to what was going on around him and not one of them telling him anything other than they hung above a dark castle with tiny pinpricks of light in it… that all went out without warning.

Ken usually disposed of his weapons after a fight. Now, he didn't. He only shook his head.

"I don't -"

And the world was torn apart by a scream of pain unlike anything Daisuke could remember hearing for at least a century or so, in a voice that only one creature could make. One name fell from two mouths.

"Miyako!"

* * *

Taichi's mind swum through a sea of shadows. Parts of him hurt in ways that he'd never dreamed that he could be hurt. He wanted to sit down and figure out everything that had happened, but putting more than a few random thoughts together seemed like far more trouble than it was worth at the moment.

His neck ached. His arms and legs hurt. He wasn't certain if he could stand up. _Was_ he standing up? He didn't think he was. Something spread out beneath him, and the more he focused on it, the more he came to understand that it was a couch of some kind.

Had he passed out at the party and someone brought him here? That would make sense. Didn't feel right, but it made sense anyway.

What happened at the party anyway? What had _been_ happening? A thousand scattered images slipped through his mind, and not one of them had the courtesy to stay there long enough so he could form a guess as to anything.

He shifted, and a noise came out of him that was unlike anything that he'd ever heard before.

Then a hand pressed against one shoulder, and a voice that he knew for a fact he didn't recognize spoke.

"Be careful, Your Highness. You're still very disoriented."

Well, that wasn't even a surprise. He tried to blink and clear his vision in the hopes of seeing who was there. He didn't like being around strangers that he couldn't see. Nothing felt right, inside or out.

Taichi blinked several times and lifted one hand, hoping he could figure out how to rub his eyes and hope that would help somehow. "Yeah, I noticed." He could talk. He even sounded coherent. Good.

The presence – which he hadn't noticed until they'd touched him – moved away, stayed away for a handful of moments, then came back. Something hovered in front of his lips.

"This will help you."

Taichi fumbled one hand up, finding that he got a little more centered and focused the more that he did. He found out also that the thing in front of him was a cup, full of a thick, sticky liquid that poured down his throat and brought much more coherency in its wake.

"Who are you?" First things first, find out where he was and who was with him and what in the world was going on. He could remember some parts of the party now and he remembered Yamato and that wonderful, seductive voice, and then _pain_ of some kind…

He still couldn't see who it was in front of him, but he began to piece it together that the reason he couldn't was because of how dark wherever they were was, not something wrong with his vision.

"My name's Iori, Your Highness. You're here in Master Vamdemon's castle. Master Vamdemon wants you." His voice wavered for a few moments, then strengthened. "He'll come soon."

Taichi shook his head a bit, still trying to put it all together and not succeeding as much as he would like. "Who is _that_?"

Iori's reply didn't do much to help the situation. "You'll find out. He's coming now."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,244||story: 20,836|| **Chapters:** 10/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Miyako couldn't move more than the barest bits. She drew in tiny breaths, not even close to the amount of air she needed, and even that made her shudder and want to be away from here.

Somewhere, on the other side of the pain that racked her, someone laughed and the sound of it raked down her soul. She never wanted to hear that laugh again.

 _Hikari..._ Her thoughts wove back to a pair of warm, comforting arms and an inner light as strong as her own. She wasn't with Hikari, but right now, she wanted to be more than she wanted anything in all of her existence.

She had no idea of how she retained her winged form. That took far more energy than she had.

Maybe she hadn't. The way she moved, it didn't feel as if she wore that shape right now. But whatever she looked like, every inch of her screamed in agony if she so much as twitched.

A hand closed about her throat and she stifled a scream of terror, her instincts knowing who it was, even if she couldn't think about what was going on coherently. He laughed, that same laugh that she never wanted to hear, and his grip tightened.

"Not much of a pretty bird now, are you? I think this is enough of a message for those fools."

Miyako couldn't get herself together enough to understand what happened next, but she found herself coasting along, something holding her from below. That was all she knew, and without anything else to hold her to awareness, she let it drift away.

* * *

Hikari stared up into the brightening morning sky. They waited for the return of the others, for Ken and Daisuke, for Miyako, and Hikari's heart remained lodged in her throat the whole time. She knew she should've slept. She needed it. But the idea of trying to do so with Miyako out there, even with Ken and Daisuke, chasing after not just a siren-vampire but _two_ siren-vampires and one of which much, much older, stronger, and far more evil than Yamato would ever dream of being.

Tailmon – or so Angewomon asked that she be called in this form – stayed with her, and perhaps that helped her to keep her eyes open, no matter how much exhaustion dragged at her.

She wanted to believe everything would turn out all right. That before much longer triumphant figures would return – any number of them – and Taichi would be himself again and there would be no more danger from Yamato's voice and Vamdemon would be defeated forever.

But she couldn't completely convince herself it would happen, not right now. What little she'd gathered from chance-dropped comments from Tailmon and Patamon she'd put together into a disturbing whole that meant without these two powerful beings, Vamdemon _couldn't_ be absolutely defeated. And here they were, waiting to find out what happened when they couldn't be there just yet.

Sora and Mimi spent the night in the castle library, searching for any way that would break the bonds that tied Yamato to Vamdemon. If they'd learned anything, Hikari didn't know about it yet. Nothing seemed more important than waiting for Miyako to get back safely.

Tailmon stayed near her, while Takeru and Patamon sat not that far away. Once it became clear that the ball wasn't going to continue, the other guests made themselves scarce while the servants began to clean things up. No one dared to raise their voice above a whisper as they worked, as if speaking too loud would bring down disaster on them all.

The king and queen weren't in the ballroom; Hikari didn't know where her parents had gone off to. There wasn't any further sign of the archmage either. It was just her and Tailmon, Patamon and Takeru, with the servants slowly putting the room to rights again, and the guards back in their places.

"I've missed him, you know," Takeru spoke, his voice not breaking the silence very well. "Yamato. All this time..." He shook his head. "I wanted to think it was all a big mistake, some sort of confusion and it didn't happen."

The sides of Hikari's mouth twitched. "I think I would've been the same way if it were Taichi." She almost was now. How could any of this had happened in the first place? It wasn't _right_. They'd been good people. Why did this have to happen?

Tailmon's paw touched her. "It isn't because you were good or bad," the small cat spoke as if reading her thoughts. Given her nature, she may well have. "But sometimes things happen. What matters is doing your best, whatever that might be."

"She's right," Patamon agreed from his perch on Takeru's head. "None of you did anything on purpose to deserve any of this. It just happened."

Hikari nodded; as much as their words soothed, a tiny part almost wished they _had_ 'deserved' it somehow. At least then it would make a form of sense instead of just being more or less random.

She turned her attention back to the skies and wished she had some way to get in touch with Miyako or Ken or Daisuke to find out what was going on. Quick communications could be done by magic, but she didn't have any way to manage that at the moment. She didn't want to ask the archmage, either. She had other questions for him, concerning that ring and what, if anything, Vamdemon could do about it.

* * *

Daisuke had seen some of the most horrifying sights in the known universe before he'd left his creator and found his way to Ken. He'd seen some of the ones that he'd missed after that.

Seeing what happened to Miyako covered at least one more of those.

"I'll get rid of them," Ken muttered, but Daisuke held him back.

"This one's on me." Seeing those tiny bat-like creations of Vamdemon's carrying Miyako sickened him. Taking them out would be the purest pleasure he'd had in at least fifty years.

The bat-things didn't so much as miss a beat of their wings as he got closer. He could see they weren't hurting her; they were carrying her somewhere. But he wasn't going to let them stay anywhere near her, no matter what they were doing.

Brilliant energy gathered in between his fingers in a web of shadows that lost nothing in the morning sunlight. He threw it forward, wrapping it all around the creatures, guiding it so that Miyako hung in the air for a few seconds. Now Ken moved forward, catching Miyako before she could fall a finger's width.

She wasn't in her phoenix form anymore. Just a look at her told Daisuke why. He didn't know if _anyone_ could've held onto a shape-change with that kind of damage. He had no idea of how many bones were dislocated, sprained, or broken, and that was just what he could see. He wasn't a healer. He couldn't even remember when he'd ever needed a healer. He didn't _know_ these things.

Ken looked down at her, worry all over his face. "Let's get her to the palace. They'll be able to deal with this." _I hope,_ rang in his words, unspoken but there all the same.

Daisuke nodded; they'd at least know better than they could. It wasn't likely that Miyako would die. Phoenixes could take a lot more damage than this. But that didn't mean that every moment of it hadn't hurt and she might end up regenerating anyway.

A phoenix didn't die.

Not _permanently_ anyway.

* * *

Yamato remained on his knees in front of Vamdemon, who looked held in a strange mix of anger and amusement. He'd heard the screams clearly, before Vamdemon called him away from Daisuke and Ken.

He suspected he knew what Vamdemon did to the phoenix princess. If anyone knew a thousand ways to hurt someone who couldn't die, it was his master.

Vamdemon, however, said nothing right away, as the long minutes ticked by and the sun grew higher outside. Sunlight would never touch inside of here, but Yamato needed to rest and he'd need to feed when he woke up. Staying here would put a stress on all of those things.

But until his master dismissed him, he couldn't do anything, and Vamdemon didn't look inclined to do so any time soon.

"Where is Takeru?" Vamdemon finally spoke, his voice measured and precise. Yamato would've winced if he could, but Vamdemon's orders had been very clear: stay on his knees and do not move, do not speak unless spoken to.

But he could answer, at least. "I think still at the palace."

A heartbeat after he spoke the last word, he found himself knocked halfway across the room, the side of his cheek flaring sharp with pain. Vampires couldn't die. They could suffer, though. Vamdemon was very good at making his progeny suffer.

"Let me ask this, then. Why isn't he _here_? I gave you an order. Why was it not carried out?" Vamdemon stood over him and Yamato struggled to get back into his kneeling position before he answered. He didn't want to; but his body refused to do otherwise.

He wondered for a few seconds if this was how the people who he controlled by his voice felt. If so, he couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

"Answer me." Vamdemon allowed him only enough time to kneel once more. Yamato's lips parted right away.

"I gave him your command, master, but he had something – someone – with him who could negate it. It was a little fuzzy kind of thing I've never seen before." He hesitated for a breath before he kept going. "There was holy power there. Too much for me to fight alone."

He expected another hit. Vamdemon did not move, save for the tiniest of frowns between his eyebrows.

"Describe it. In detail."

Yamato cast his mind back to that moment. He'd been fresh off of a feeding, but he thought he could remember enough. "It was small, small enough to sit on his head. Orange fur. Blue eyes. It looked a little like… like a small pig, I guess?" That wasn't the most accurate way to describe it, but he thought it would do.

He was close enough to hear the words Vamdemon hissed between his teeth, but the next question surprised him.

"Did you see anything else? Any _one_ else that gave off holy power?"

Yamato tried to remember again. He'd been more interested at that time in avoiding that power. It could've destroyed him if they'd attacked, and vampire or not, he wanted to live. Or exist. There had been a lot of that power, and while some of it had been with the creature protecting Takeru, the rest circled around…

"There was a cat..." Yamato's voice trailed off only long enough for him to notice Vamdemon's fierce glare at him. "A white cat with blue eyes, too. It was with Princess Hikari."

Vamdemon vented his fury on Yamato, knocking him back into the wall again. This time Yamato stayed where he was, not bothering to breathe, hoping that his master would find something better to do than destroy him. He wanted to see Taichi again, and explain all of this once he was capable of understanding it.

He'd have to understand it all himself first, of course. Which would be much easier once he was full fed and not in pain and didn't have to worry about going back to the palace to see Taichi at all.

Yamato didn't pay much attention to Vamdemon's rage, except to notice when it finally dried out of him. When his master spoke, the words were short, sharp, to the point, and not everything he wanted to hear.

"Clean up. Rest. Feed when you wake up, but don't hunt, and don't touch Taichi. He's mine until further notice. Stay away from him and if any of those fools return and enter the castle, do your very best to kill them, unless those two _angels_ are with them. If they are, come find me right away."

He didn't wait around to see what Yamato's reaction was, instead stalking out the nearest door. Yamato stayed where he was until he could trust his feet to stay steady underneath him.

 _He knows what those creatures are. Angels? I didn't think angels looked so… fluffy._ What did he know about angels, though? The closest he'd ever been to one was that one woman at the palace, the cupid princess, Sora. Cupids weren't actually angels, or so he'd heard. He wasn't sure what the difference was, but she didn't give off holy power the way that _they_ did.

Anyway, he had his orders, and he wanted to rest. That fight, and what happened with his master, took more out of him than he thought.

And now he couldn't even see Taichi until Vamdemon satisfied himself, which could take a while. Maybe nights. Maybe weeks.

Yamato stumbled his way on toward his room. A stray thought, sparked by the confrontation at the palace, wormed its way into his mind. _I wonder who that Jou person is._ His master had let drop a few hints as to someone who'd been there prior to Yamato, but nothing more than that.

Anyway, whoever he was, he wasn't here now. And Yamato wanted to sleep more than he wanted to solve mysteries. At least for now.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,104||story: 22,940|| **Chapters:** 11/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Not a single footfall announced Vamdemon's presence, but the moment Taichi turned around to see where Iori's attention lay, he saw the monster standing there.

Vamdemon stood much taller than he did, and in a sense wasn't unattractive, if one were drawn to pale gray skin and a smile that made his fangs sharp and clear. Though Taichi did favor blonds – as Yamato could've well spoken to – this one did nothing at all for him. He didn't move back, though. He braced himself and glared, his mind clearer than he could remember since he'd first heard Yamato's seductive voice.

"I'm leaving." He didn't ask for release. He was a prince; he did not _ask_ for things, especially things that should never have been taken from him in the first place, such as his freedom.

He'd have a few words for Yamato when they met again on _that_ score.

Vamdemon's smile widened by a breath or two. "No, you are not, little prince. Not until – or unless – I exhaust myself enjoying my revenge upon your family through you."

Taichi's mouth worked at that, his stomach churning. Given how hungry he also was, this wasn't a good combination. "Like that's going to happen."

"Oh, but it will." Vamdemon strolled forward and Taichi forced himself to remain where he stood. This was a monster, a creature of evil, and he wouldn't give way to it. "I've waited for this moment for a very long time."

"You could say something that made sense. That would be good." Taichi tilted his head back so he didn't lose eye contact with the vampire as Vamdemon drew closer.

"I take it that your parents never told you why sirens aren't allowed in your kingdom?" Vamdemon towered over Taichi, staring down at him with twisted amusement gleaming bright in his eyes. "That would be because of me."

Taichi set his hands on his hips and wished that he had a dragon or something that could swallow Vamdemon in one bite. "Sure it was."

"When I was mortal still, I entranced one of your ancestors and amused myself amassing an army and working to create an empire." Vamdemon didn't pout, but there was a definite flare of memories in his expression. "But someone dared to rise against me and struck me down… for a while."

"You should've taken the hint," Taichi grumbled. He wanted to move away, but couldn't, partly because he refused to give ground to his enemy, and partly because his legs wouldn't move, and he couldn't figure out why. Vamdemon's eyes were so large and entrancing behind the mask…

Vamdemon's hand brushed the side of Taichi's face. "As I died, I offered my soul to all the powers of evil for revenge, no matter how long it took. So I became what I am, and ever since then, I have searched for a way to gain my revenge on your family line. Now I have it: you."

Taichi couldn't help himself; he tried to jerk away from the vampire's touch. But he couldn't move, not so much as a breath's worth. His breath stuttered in his throat.

"I haven't decided if I will turn you or not. I do have a very loyal servant already. But there are other positions that you can fill."

That sent a deeper shudder all through Taichi. He didn't know what Vamdemon meant by that, but the images the words conjured weren't ones that he found himself interested in 'filling' in the slightest.

Again Vamdemon smiled. "As I think on it, I _don't_ believe that you will ever see your kingdom again. There's no need for it. Human or vampire, you will stay with me forever. And there are ways to make you immortal without making you a vampire." His hand slid down the side of Taichi's face to cup his chin. "Some of them are even more interesting than making you my child."

Taichi wished with every ounce of his soul that he could shatter whatever bonds held him in place and plant a good punch on Vamdemon's arrogant face. His fingers twitched just a little, but all it did was make him even angrier, because he couldn't do anything else!

Vamdemon, however, took Taichi's hand and raised it with perfect ease. "I think to begin, however, you need to know my little slave's true nature. And your history with him." One finger rested on the ring and Taichi could not stem the tide of confusion.

"Are you _ever_ going to say anything that makes sense?"

"You'll see what I mean." Vamdemon examined the ring for another few breaths. "I see. Cannot be removed by you or any mortal." His grip tightened on the ring. "How fortunate that I am _not mortal_."

Another tightening and the ring shattered, tiny shards falling to the floor. Taichi's mouth formed a perfect 'O'; if he'd been able to speak in that moment, he would've asked what Vamdemon did that for. But he didn't need to.

Because memory flooded back, memories of years earlier.

 _I'm Prince Taichi!_ The joy of finding a new face in a place where he knew everyone.

 _I'm Ishida Yamato! We just moved to the c-court, me and my dad._ A pair of crystal blue eyes, a pair of lips turned downward as he spoke.

 _What's wrong?_ Curious, why would someone be sad in the royal court, a place Taichi could not imagine being sad.

 _I miss my little brother._ Later he would learn that Yamato's parents had differences and those differences led to the brothers being separated.

 _Wanna meet my little sister?_ Not a replacement, but an addition.

Years flicked by in the blink of an eye and in those years, Taichi remembered growing closer, friendship deepening and strengthening by the hour, until a small bud of something else forged itself into existence.

An ordinary day in the royal court, with Taichi looking forward to going riding with Yamato after their duties finished for the day. As they had done before, as he believed they would do again.

A twisted face charging toward him, Yamato suddenly in front of him, but disarmed, both their lives hanging in the balance.

Blue eyes hardened. A voice, eloquent and lovely as the musician Yamato could be sang out two words, a command that no one believed would be obeyed, because no one could kill with their voice alone…

Until the attacker stumbled to a halt, eyes wide and unseeing, then fell into a heap, dead as dust. Slain by Yamato's command alone.

Terror. Fear. Panic. All spread through the court like wildfire, and before Taichi could do anything at all, before he properly understood what had happened, guards whisked Yamato away, plugging their ears with wax.

He'd tried to talk to his parents but they refused to listen to a word in Yamato's defense. He hadn't understood then their fears, but now he did, now he saw they sought only to protect him in the only way that they knew how.

That didn't make him any happier with them. More than ever he believed with every ounce of his being that Yamato wouldn't willingly hurt him.

But then he hadn't known, and then the sentence fell: Yamato would be executed and his body not even given a proper burial.

If what Vamdemon said held true – and Taichi wasn't willing to admit that he'd said a word of truth – it did make some sense. They wanted to make certain Yamato didn't rise again, as Vamdemon clearly had at some point, somehow.

When his mind cleared and he could see everything around him once more, Vamdemon's face stared down into his, and Taichi jerked away as hard as he could. Which wasn't all that hard, as whatever invisible bonds held him before hadn't loosened.

"I brought him back from the brink of death," Vamdemon said. "He's far more mine than yours. He will always be my slave more than he is your love. If I told him to drain you dry, he would do so. He fed on you last night because of my word."

Taichi gave an indignant twitch. Vamdemon smiled indulgently. "I would feed from you but you need to recover from him first, and I already had a good meal tonight." His attention moved to the side and Taichi realized Iori still stood there, quiet and hidden in the shadows. He could see something he'd missed before now: clear, fresh bite marks on Iori's neck.

Vamdemon spoke and this time his voice held a haunting melody that Taichi had only heard from Yamato before. "Go with Iori. Don't even think about escaping. When I send for you tonight, you will attend me at once."

Taichi tried to open his mouth to retort that he'd do no such thing, but no words came out of him.

 _Siren… no one can disobey a siren's voice..._

He could understand, somewhat, why his parents feared sirens so much. With just a few words, they could bring down an entire kingdom.

He followed Iori docilely out of the room and down a long, dark corridor. Crystals hung on the walls here and there, glowing just enough so that the two of them didn't stub their toes walking.

A thousand questions railed through his mind but he couldn't sort himself out enough yet to ask any of them and he wasn't sure if Iori knew the answers anyway. He did try one of them.

"Do you know if Yamato's all right? Is he here?" That probably counted as two questions, but he didn't have a question quota.

"He's in his room, resting. You won't see him unless _he_ says that you can. I don't think he wants you to for a while yet." Iori hesitated, eyes flicking back to Taichi. "Maybe not until he's changed you into whatever he decides you should be."

That sent a shudder all through Taichi. He couldn't think about escaping, but he knew that he didn't want to stick around here, and he wanted to stay human for as long as he could. "Did he change you?"

Iori shook his head. "You're special. He wants to keep you for a long time." His eyes hardened. "But he'll either get rid of me soon or send me to serve Yamato."

"Why?" Taichi wasn't sure which part of that he wanted to know more about. He supposed all of it.

"Because he has you now. He doesn't keep more than one blood pet at the same time very often. Just until the new one learns their place." Hatred of a level that Taichi hadn't known could exist outside of his own loathing for Vamdemon coated the words. "And with that voice of theirs, it doesn't take long."

Taichi shuddered at the very idea of 'learning his place'. He knew what his place was, and it wasn't anywhere around here. He steeled himself. "What's Yamato like?"

As much as he didn't want to think about it, he knew Yamato wasn't like he'd been before. With his memories slotted back in place, he could even see some of the differences, but he couldn't be certain which of those could be chalked up to the passage of time, to anger over what Taichi's parents did, or what Vamdemon did to him. Yamato had a lot of options to choose from for his changes.

"He's Vamdemon's obedient little offspring. He'll do anything that Vamdemon wants him to do. I don't think he's hesitated on anything since Vamdemon brought him here."

 _That's not Yamato._ Taichi steeled himself even farther. He had to find a way to kill Vamdemon. That would help Yamato; it would have to. Even if it didn't, just killing Vamdemon would end a threat to the kingdom.

Iori didn't say anything else as he led Taichi into a huge room filled with half a dozen strange creatures, demons of some type, and when he did, he didn't talk to Taichi at all.

"Master Vamdemon's new slave needs something to eat," Iori told them. The one who appeared in charge, something that looked a lot like a giant squash with long tendrils for arms, turned toward the two of them.

"Has he been fed from?" Iori nodded and the demon turned away, waving his arms and issuing orders.

Taichi stayed where he was, utterly fascinated, and tried not to think too much about what he'd learned and the risk that he would never see his friends or family again.

He couldn't think about escaping, but he thought about killing Vamdemon and that satisfied him almost as much as his dinner did.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,230||story: 25,170|| **Chapters:** 12/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Hikari refused to move from Miyako's side. Fury unlike any she'd ever experienced before seethed underneath her skin, fury she would like to turn on Vamdemon for what he'd done to her.

Tailmon rested one paw-hand on her arm. "He'll be taken down. You can trust us on that."

She glanced for a moment at the divine creature. "How?" It wasn't that she doubted Tailmon meant it. She just couldn't see how anyone could defeat someone like Vamdemon.

 _He's a vampire. He has Yamato at his beck and call. Yamato could turn virtually all of our forces against us with a few words. We can't block all of their ears. There's not enough time and not enough ways to do it._

Tailmon tilted her head to where Takeru and Patamon stood in the doorway, back to them, most of his attention on Ken and Daisuke as they filled everyone there in on what happened at Vamdemon's castle.

"The two of us can do it. I can't promise that it will be easy by any means and there will still be a lot that needs doing after it, but we can."

Hikari nodded a little, turning her attention back to Miyako. "I wish we could help her more."

"We've done all that we can," Tailmon reminded her. Phoenixes couldn't be affected by healing magic. Miyako explained it to her that since phoenixes could die and be reborn, healing either happened by natural means or not at all. In this case, the option was 'not at all', and they still couldn't be certain if she would heal or be reborn.

 _The thing is, I know I'll be reborn. It's happened before. But it's different every time. I don't know how long it'll be for, and when I do come back, I'll be weaker for a while. It'll take me time to get back up to where I was. So it's not something I want to do a whole lot, you know._

Then Miyako smiled, that bright flash that made Hikari's world light up all around her, that made her feel as if anything at all could be possible, so long as Miyako stood by her.

 _But if it could help you..._

Then Miyako blushed as she heard her own words and Hikari changed the subject, not wanting to talk about Miyako dying or herself dying or anything else but the pleasure they found in one another's company.

She could die. She would come back, but she'd still die, and she'd still suffered and hurt and it was because of _Vamdemon_ and it was to help find Hikari's brother, and that was because of Vamdemon, and Hikari clenched her fists, a storm swirling in the deepest parts of her soul.

She pushed herself to her feet and stalked to the door, Tailmon a pace or two behind her. Takeru, Ken, and Daisuke looked toward her as she stood there, and she caught sight of Mimi and Sora a short distance away.

"We're not going to let him get away with any of this. We have a way to kill him." Her gaze flicked from Tailmon to Patamon and then back to the others. "When we are leaving?"

She didn't want to leave Miyako. But staying here wouldn't get anything done, and she wasn't going to stay behind while they went to do this.

Silence hung between them all for almost a minute, before Ken spoke up.

"As soon as we're all ready. Before sunset."

* * *

Takeru didn't want to spend so much as a moment without Patamon by his side. The thought of what could've happened without his furry partner sent chills all through him. He trusted his brother above anyone else in the entire world. What he didn't trust was what Vamdemon would make his brother do.

Thousands of other questions surged and swirled behind his lips as he walked through the corridors. He stuck to the ones that would be empty this time of day; he didn't feel like meeting anyone who wasn't Patamon and the side glances he'd already noticed from the few servants he did pass made it even worse. He knew he and Yamato looked alike, but it was broad daylight. He'd never yet known of a vampire who could handle that.

What Ken and Daisuke told of their experience there spun through his thoughts as well. Not all of it made sense, but he hoped if he pummeled at it enough, something might.

"Patamon? What if we do kill Vamdemon?" He worked out what he wanted to say with each word he spoke, feeling his way through it all. "What about my brother then?"

"Killing Vamdemon will return his free will to him," Patamon reassured him. "That's not what we really have to worry about."

"What is?"

"The fact your brother is a siren and there's no real way to block off a siren's control of someone else, as long as that someone else is human. Non-humans, like a dryad or a cupid or a werebeast, they're not affected by a siren's call. But humans always are."

Takeru worried at his lower lip. Yeah, that was something to worry about. _He can't stay here, then. They wouldn't allow it._

And as much as the thought twisted inside of him, he couldn't blame them. He didn't like thinking of his brother as _dangerous_ , but he'd felt that power touch him, even if he hadn't been forced to obey it. It wasn't safe for people.

 _We can worry about that later. First thing to do is get him back._ Maybe they'd get _really_ lucky and somehow killing Vamdemon would turn Yamato human again? Maybe?

It remained a sparkling hope in his heart, regardless.

* * *

"Jou..." Mimi tasted the name, letting it flow over her tongue and all the way through her. It wasn't a bad name, but it wasn't one that she could recall having heard in this context before. A possible other vampire, one who didn't serve Vamdemon at all. This could offer options for the future.

"Anyone you know?"

She shook her head at Sora. "I'll ask the trees. There aren't many places one can go where the trees can't find them."

"If he's a vampire, then he probably found a place without trees," Sora pointed out, a tiny quirk to her mouth. "No matter where his loyalties lie, a stake could kill him as easily as it could anyone else. It wouldn't be smart to stay in a place that provides natural weapons against you."

"There aren't many beings a stake through the heart won't kill," Mimi pointed out. "But you're right. I'll ask anyway, though. It won't hurt."

Taking care of Vamdemon would be the first priority, though, and she wanted to ask for something else while she was there. The trees would help her. They always did.

She glanced for a moment at Sora. "She'll probably come when I call. Do you want me to ask for your friend, too?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's already on the way."

Their companions always knew when they were in need of assistance. The more help they had on this mission, the better.

* * *

Miyako drifted in a sea of light, the pain far away from her. She knew it existed; if she moved in the wrong way it shot through her worse than being struck by a thousand bolts of lightning. She wanted to avoid the pain, to cling to the wrappings of healing that would slowly put her back into top condition.

But what she wanted wasn't what she needed to do, no matter how appealing it was. What she needed to do was wake up and take to the air once more.

 _There's someone else there._ Bad enough that Taichi and Yamato remained ensnared by Vamdemon's foul ways, but Vamdemon had someone else hidden in his lair. She didn't know who and she didn't know _why_ aside from one obvious point: he'd fed on someone. It couldn't have been Yamato; vampires couldn't feed off of other vampires. It couldn't have been Taichi; he'd been fed from by Yamato before they left, and there wasn't time enough for him to have recovered his strength.

So there had to be someone else in the castle, and that meant they had to be rescued. She hadn't been able to tell anyone else about this, and the more she thought on the matter – as much as she could think about anything at the moment – the more she knew that she needed to go there once again.

Steeling herself against the pain, she pushed until her eyes opened and she could see the room around her. It wasn't one of Vamdemon's; there was far too much light there. She hadn't expected to be there anyway, but she hadn't bee certain of where she _would_ be or even if she could help at all. If she'd been unconscious for too long…

"Miyako!" Hikari appeared in the doorway, eyes bright and worried all at the same time. "Don't try to get up, you're not healed yet!"

"I can't wait until I am," Miyako murmured, shifting herself up and hating every moment. She wasn't even certain if she could change at the moment, but there were too many reasons for her to do it to not try. "How long has it been?"

Hikari's hands wrapped around her shoulders and supported her. Miyako offered up a little smile, but still kept on trying to get to her feet. "Only a few hours. We're all getting ready to go get Taichi and Yamato back."

 _Thank goodness. I'm not too late._

Miyako clenched her teeth together and forced herself up. She couldn't remember which parts of her had been broken, sprained, or dislocated in the fight, but enough of them had been wrapped up and salves and casts applied that going anywhere would risk her life.

It wasn't as if she didn't have more. This needed doing.

"You're not going, Miyako." Hikari tried to sound firm and did a very good job of it. Miyako wasn't paying that much attention to it, though. "Miyako!"

She slowly brought her head up to meet Hikari's eyes. "Yes, I am. Because I have to. There's someone else there. Probably a blood pet for Vamdemon."

Hikari didn't move to let her up. "So why can't we rescue them while you stay here and get better?"

"Because most of you are going to need to fight Vamdemon and if he thinks I'm still here resting, he won't notice me sneaking in to get whoever it is _and_ Taichi _and_ Yamato. Someone has to do it, and he's going to be on guard."

Hikari pressed her lips together and started to shake her head. Miyako reached up one hand to touch the side of the princess's face.

"I have to do this. He'll _know_ if any of you are missing. Yamato will have told him everything that happened that he saw. But he won't expect me there, not after what he did to me. And any guards he has, I think I can still take them." A small, weak smile touched on her lips for a few seconds. "Trust me, please."

Hikari leaned into her touch and sighed. "You're going to get yourself killed. You can barely even move right now. How do you expect to get there?"

A voice Miyako expected came without warning from the window. "I believe I may be able to lend a hand. Or in this case, a wing."

Her eyes lit up at the sight of him as a sleek hawk, far larger than most of the breed, landed on the windowsill and turned his sharp eyes on her. "You look horrible."

"Thanks, Hawkmon." Miyako rolled her eyes at that, another smile flirting on her lips. "Nice to see you again, too."

She glanced back at Hikari, whose attention flipped between the two of them in rapid sequence. "Your friend?" she asked at last, and Miyako nodded.

"We've known each other for a long time. He helped teach me how to fly." Miyako held her hand out, wincing at the sharp lances of pain that drove their way up it, and Hawkmon flew over to perch there with all caution.

"And apparently I forgot to teach you that moving around when you're injured is a very bad idea." Hawkmon gave her a very stern look. "Your father would never forgive me if you failed to rebirth yourself properly because you were too weak."

"What?" Hikari's voice was a single clipped piece of pain and shock. Miyako dredged up a small expression that wasn't exactly a smile, and rubbed the back of her head with her free hand.

"I'm not that beaten up. I wouldn't be awake if I was. You don't have to worry about it."

She had to admit, if only to herself, that she was far closer to that point than she really wanted to think about. She could move. She could do so without too _much_ pain if she focused enough. She didn't doubt that she could get to where Taichi, Yamato, and the stranger whose existence she only could intuit were, and get them out again.

What she wasn't entirely certain of was how long she'd be able to push herself after that. And that, she really didn't want Hikari to know.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,157||story: 27,327|| **Chapters:** 13/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Together they took to the skies. There weren't many of them, no more than seven and their companions. The king and queen would have sent backup in the form of soldiers supplied with hearing muffling devices, but Ken dissuaded them.

"Smaller is better in this case, and your soldiers can't fly, which would slow us down. The sooner we strike the better. It will provide Vamdemon with much less time to turn Taichi, or whatever it is he has planned."

The queen gave him a measuring look. "He could've done that already."

"I know." Ken could only agree with that. "But we need to move fast and if he _has_ , then it's the same as with Yamato. If we can destroy Vamdemon altogether, then anyone he's turned will be free of his control."

So now they soared, Ken and Daisuke, Sora and Mimi, Hikari and Miyako, Takeru and Angemon. No one asked where the angel came from. No one wanted to question why they were getting divine help against someone like Vamdemon. The more help they had that could deny his powers, the better.

Their own companions flowed along with them: Stingmon and XV-mon, Garudamon and Rosemon, Tailmon and Aquilamon. Each had their own tale of how they'd come to have such a loyal partner, though few spoke of it. Being partnered to a powerful being like this was a rare and special gift.

Daisuke, though, did mention one thing about how he and V-mon came to know one another: "It annoyed the hell out of my father and I'd go out of my way ten times a day to do that. Why do you think I love Ken so much?"

"I wouldn't call him a 'father'," Ken muttered, not quite low enough so no one heard, but not loud enough so no one wanted to ask and find out more. Daisuke only rolled his eyes and the small party sailed onward, wanting to make the best time they could and get to Vamdemon's castle before the sun fell too far from the sky.

Now they hovered in the air, those who had wings beating them slowly.

"Ready?" Ken asked, gathering a sphere of energy between his hands. One by one those who had both access to such powers and the energy to conjure them up did so. "One." He spoke not much louder than a whisper.

"Two." The single word fell from Sora's lips, almost as silent as Ken's own count. But only one had the right to call the last one. They'd not discussed this. They didn't need to.

" _Three_!" Hikari didn't whisper. Hikari screamed in rage and the fires of the heavens and hells both answered her demand as the party struck at Vamdemon's castle.

* * *

Taichi sort of last track of where he was between having dinner and when the castle began to shake. When his mind cleared, he found himself in a room that he didn't recognize, too dark to see what was going on, and a pair of slender arms that he knew weren't Yamato's holding him around the waist.

The grip tightened when he tried to move, and Vamdemon's sleepy voice murmured in his ear. "Don't."

He froze at once, the mixture of siren and vampiric magic forcing his body to obey. Vamdemon stroked a hand through his hair, letting out a bit of a chuckle, before he slid to the side and let Taichi take up a restful position on the cushioned chair they'd apparently been sitting in.

"Stay here until I return," he ordered. "Don't let anyone who isn't me take you out of here. Don't speak to anyone who enters."

Taichi knew he didn't have a choice in obeying, so settled for a hate-filled look at the vampire, who returned it with one of sheer amusement.

"I won't be long."

Taichi mentally rolled his eyes. There wasn't any need to threaten him like that.

All throughout Vamdemon's order-giving, the room shook, small falls of dust coming from the ceiling and walls, each shake coming with loud noises from outside. Taichi knew what battles sounded like, even if this one wasn't anything like any battle he'd heard before.

 _Someone came._ He didn't know who; he'd been too wrapped up in Yamato to speak to most people over the last three nights. But he remembered there being a handful of people that he liked and wished now that he could get a chance to know them.

Would Yamato join them in trying to get him out of here? Would there be some way for him to work his way around Vamdemon's commands so he could help himself?

He really wanted that last part. He hated not being able to do things for himself. He still hadn't given up the lovely mental image of slamming a stake into Vamdemon's heart, if he had one or not. Taichi didn't much care, so long as the act of staking him could free Taichi himself from the commands.

The noise from outside grew worse with each moment. There wasn't much coming from inside, and he couldn't yet guess if that meant that good things or bad for him. He could only sit and wait and stew and refine his plans to kill Vamdemon as often as necessary.

* * *

"Kill as many of them as you can. The ones that I don't kill, at least." Vamdemon lazily ordered Yamato. His slave bent his head in perfect obedience before he took to the skies.

This fight would be difficult. Vamdemon, no stranger to strategy, could see that right away. Whoever led this ragtag army chose well: he could see not one human here who would be vulnerable to a siren's voice, which took away one of their best weapons.

But a vampire's strength and his dark magic could easily tear into these people, and he unleashed one of his stronger attacks, aiming for the blond and the angel guarding him.

 _Takeru. The one that I want. The one who will be mine._ He'd drained Iori almost to the point where he wasn't tasty anymore. He needed a replacement and the thought of having Takeru as his new blood-pet had taken root in him shortly after he'd brought Yamato to his knees.

He would have to destroy the angel first, though, rendering Takeru vulnerable and submissive to his will. But that wasn't a large problem. Vamdemon _loved_ the idea of destroying an angel.

The energy flashed close to the angel, but he darted out of the way, still keeping a hold on Takeru as he did. Vamdemon lashed another stream of blood-red power, smirking this time when a few white feathers drifted down.

"Angel you may be, but your power is no match for mine," he declared, moving forward. "Be prepared to return to your heaven and leave me with what is mine!"

From the corner of one eye he could see Yamato darting forward, slashing with taloned fingers at anyone who got too near him, keeping them away from Vamdemon himself. That was a good boy; he would have to pick out someone who could be a blood-pet for him as a reward. Perhaps the construct would be useful. He'd heard good things about what the craftsman could do with his work and he could see who'd crafted _this_ construct with one eye closed.

Vamdemon didn't bother to count or notice who he fought against. The angel lashed back with bolts of divine energy, but he could avoid those. He was the only one who could really do anything against Vamdemon in the first place.

Except…

He could sense a small source of holy strength, glowing hot and intense not that far away. Keeping his attention on the angel, he dropped back a fraction to get a better view of the battlefield. Not that far away there hung a gigantic bird, with one rider. No, two: the second one was much smaller and seated in the lap of the first.

The second one was where all of that holy energy came from.

 _Another angel?_ Angels could conceal themselves, though few did so, preferring to awe insignificant mortals with their presence.

One angel could cause him trouble, if one of those holy blasts hit him without any defenses. Two could almost...there was a chance…

Vamdemon whirled to face Yamato, snapping his slave's name. "You failed to bring me your brother once before. _Don't fail this time_! I want him, now!"

Yamato turned toward him, eyes wide and confused. Vamdemon pointed. "Don't fail me again, or Taichi will pay for it." He had no intentions of _killing_ Taichi – in a permanent fashion – but he wanted that angel disposed of and now Yamato would be his weapon to do that.

* * *

Yamato wanted with all of his heart to deny the command, but Vamdemon had remade him as a vampire. Like it or not, that bond tied them together, like a collar of obedience around his neck. So he swooped toward Takeru, avoiding the energy that the strange angel guarding his brother shot toward him.

Funny about that; it wasn't hard to avoid them at all. As if the angel didn't _want_ to hit him.

"Big brother!" Takeru shouted from the angel's arms. "You don't want to do this!"

"You should know by now that I don't have a choice," Yamato replied, struggling to keep his voice calm. He really didn't. If he'd had his choice, he'd be human, maybe even already married to Taichi, but definitely not a siren and not a vampire, unable to make his own decisions.

Now the angel spoke, and his voice shook Yamato down to his core. "There is always a choice."

"You don't know a lot about vampires, do you?" Yamato slipped to one side, darted forward, and made a grab for Takeru. The angel moved back, keeping him out of Yamato's reach, and flicked a stream of pure white energy at him. Yamato hissed, raising one hand to shield his eyes from it.

 _What_ _ **is**_ _that?_ He'd never encountered anything like that before and dropped back farther, shaking his head, trying to get rid of how sick it made him.

It hadn't even hit him head on. In truth, it hadn't hit him at all. He'd been right the first time: the angel wasn't trying to hurt him, just keep him away from Takeru.

 _If they don't want to hurt me, but I have to get Takeru, then that gives me an advantage._

He hated it. He had to use it. Vamdemon's orders thrummed in his veins. He steeled himself and hoped with all of his heart that his brother would find a way to forgive him one day.

Quicker than most mortal eyes could follow, Yamato flew forward, dodging the holy energy that the angel shot outward, keeping far enough away so they didn't throw him off course like the first one had.

One hand touched Takeru's shoulder.

Yamato's back exploded in pain, two thick claws of shadow that slammed into him and bore him down to the ground, half-burying him there. He struggled and wiggled, clawed fingers digging into rock and dirt around him, but not having any effect whatsoever.

"Sorry about this," a voice above him said, one that he vaguely recognized from earlier. Ken? Daisuke? One of them. "But we're not going to let you take Takeru, whether you can help it or not."

Yamato wriggled harder, but every movement that he made only intensified the pain. He threw his head back, snarling, trying to at least get a glimpse of what kept him down.

Two swords. He could only see one when he turned his head to each side, but frantic thrashing showed him that much. His jerks and squirming only dug them deeper into him, and through him, into the ground itself.

If he were still human, this would've killed him without a doubt. Two razor-edged swords, slammed through his shoulders hard enough to come out the other side and keep him pinned down. No human could survive that. Even a siren wouldn't be able to.

But a vampire could. A vampire would just be trapped here until he could find a way to get out of it, or until someone pulled the swords out.

He could see the one who spoke now, and identified him as Ken, prince of the demons. Ken settled down where they could see each other and gave him a very gentle smile.

"Once we finish off Vamdemon and you're free, you'll thank us. I'm sure of it."

Yamato managed a very wry, pained himself, letting his struggles ease. He would have to be clever if he wanted to get out from this. "If you could do that, then you'd probably be right."

Ken's smile warmed. "Then it's a very good thing that we can, isn't it?"

And for the first time in years, Yamato's heart beat with a flash of hope.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,475||story: 29,802|| **Chapters:** 14/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

Miyako made her way through the corridors of Vamdemon's hidden palace. Once she'd found a window she'd been in. Now she just had to find Taichi and whoever Vamdemon kept as a blood source.

 _And then I have to get them out of here while it hurts to walk and I've got no chance of shifting and I have no idea of what's going on out there._ She cast a glance behind her; she had to trust that the others would at least keep Vamdemon at bay long enough for her to pull off the rescue. She couldn't do a lot more other than that.

She listened at every door she came to, pausing at cross corridors to see if she could figure out which way to go. What would be even worse would be finding a way to get back out again.

 _I'll do it like I do everything: on a wing and a prayer. Even if I don't have my wings right now._

She turned a corner after listening for several minutes to figure out if anyone was there. She'd taken no more than a half a dozen steps before a door opened and a figure stepped out. She couldn't take another step beyond that before whoever it was turned to look at her.

Miyako froze in her tracks at the sight of those large green eyes. She blinked several times before a name came to her lips.

"Iori?"

He stared back at her. He'd grown respectably since the last time she'd seen him. The bite marks on his neck weren't all that fresh, except for one. That told her one thing: she'd found Vamdemon's blood source.

"Miyako?" A thread of hope wove through his voice as he turned to take a step toward her. "Is that you?"

"Who else would be stupid enough to come into a vampire's castle with almost no weapons and not able to change to get out of here if my friends can't take him down?" She raised one eyebrow at the question, hand on her hip. Iori had never been one to smile much, but she recognized the joy in his eyes anyway.

Then those eyes widened with worry. "If we're going to leave, then we need to take His Highness with us."

"Yeah, that's who I was looking for. Him and you." She hesitated for a few seconds. "When this is over, you're going to tell me why you're here and why you're not dead." Her eyes flicked to his pulse, almost invisible from where she stood, but she hoped it was there. It had to be; vampires couldn't feed off of other vampires.

"When it's over, yes." Iori nodded, then gestured her along. "I know where he is. But he won't be able to leave willingly."

Miyako let loose an annoyed sigh. "Vamdemon did something for that?"

"Yes." Iori hurried along and she followed. "But I think I might know a way around it."

That wouldn't surprise her; Iori had always been a smart one. Finding he was the unknown blood source gave her a boost she hadn't thought she could feel with the way she still throbbed in multiple areas.

Now everyone else could just finish off Vamdemon and it would be a magnificent day.

* * *

For the thousandth time – but who was counting? - Taichi envisioned slamming a huge stake in between Vamdemon's ribs and watching as he screamed, flailed, and otherwise made a complete fool of himself before finally fading away never to be seen again. This time he added the extra detail of picking up Yamato and seeing the blond no longer had fangs and his voice didn't compel others.

It was his fantasy, he could do whatever he wanted with it.

Soft footsteps, little more than whispers of movement, sounded from the door. He expected Iori, though he wasn't sure what the other could want here.

He expected Iori and he wasn't disappointed, but who he didn't expect was the phoenix princess Miyako. He blinked at her; he didn't know her that well, but he didn't think the bruises and general battered condition was standard issue for her.

For a moment he opened his mouth, then his lips slammed together again. _Oh. Right. I'm not allowed to talk to anyone who comes in here._ He tossed his head; this wasn't going to be fun at all.

"Vamdemon gave him orders to stay here and not speak," Iori murmured to Miyako. Taichi found he could nod in agreement to that and did so.

"You said you knew a way around it?" Miyako kept her voice only a fraction above a whisper. Taichi's eyes lit up at the thought of being able to leave here and listened intently as well.

A small smile made its way around Iori's lips. "I can't promise it will work."

Taichi nodded his head with all the speed he could manage. He wanted to at least try it! He _hated_ being trapped like this, unable to do anything at all. _I'd prefer being chained up. At least then I could_ _ **see**_ _why I couldn't do anything!_ As it was, he sat there like a lump on a log or some kind of wax doll for someone to play with. It wasn't a position he wanted.

"Let's give it a try!" Miyako declared. Taichi nodded even faster. Iori gave him a measured look, then pulled his fist back and -

* * *

Miyako blinked as Taichi slumped over, a quickly flowering bruise where Iori's fist struck. "That was your idea?"

"He couldn't leave of his own will and he would've had to fight us otherwise," Iori said. He'd definitely grown since the last time they'd seen one another, as he scooped up the prince and carried him over his shoulder. She was more than willing to let him do that. Just the movement she'd done already was enough to make her long for her bed.

She let out a long breath from her nose. "All right. Let's get out of here." Maybe they'd get there in time to see the others shredding Vamdemon. That would be worth every ounce of pain and then some.

* * *

Vamdemon lashed scarlet bolts of energy everywhere he could get to, hitting more than he missed, but being hit as well. Not every strike that hit him _hurt_ him; those were reserved for those who had holy power.

He dropped out of the way of one strike from the demon prince, only to find himself facing the golden-haired angel, staff at the ready.

"Will you not surrender and give up your captives? _All_ of them, including Yamato?" Angemon asked, gaze bent toward him. Vamdemon threw back his head and laughed.

"Are you truly that foolish? Give up what's mine? What I created out of something nearly a corpse and the tool of my revenge?" He smirked. "Not to mention a very useful blood producer."

"Surrender them, release them from your bondage, and this battle ends," Angemon promised. "You'll find no peace otherwise."

Vamdemon's answer was a swarm of his enslaved bats, which Angemon dodged with a flick of his bright wings. The vampire sneered; angels were so _stupid_. He prepared another strike, only for a peppering of pain to strike his shoulders and back. Whirling, he saw the cupid princess and the dryad princess there, along with the gigantic bird they'd brought along.

"What madness is this?" A cupid's power wasn't holy, nor was a dryad's, but he could still feel a speckle or two of pain. A minor annoyance.

"We call it a distraction," the dryad said. "Maybe you've heard of them?"

"Wait, what?" Vamdemon barely had time to utter the words before a beam of powerful, blinding holy energy slammed into him from the side. Angemon stood there, staff in hand, and what might've been a sorrowful look on what could be seen of his features.

But Vamdemon wasn't one to give up so easily, especially not when he knew there was another angel on the field somewhere. He hadn't forgotten that little cat, concealing herself where she thought he wouldn't find her.

Breathing hard – though he had no need for breath – he rose up, one hand pressed to where Angemon's attack struck. "You think that anything you do will matter? I _always_ rise again. It is my nature! It is what I was born to do!"

"Then we'll take you down again and again!" There she was, the blue-eyed cat that gleamed bright with the power of angels, held in the arms of the human princess. If it weren't for the protection the cat gave, Vamdemon would have her in his clutches to, and feed until only a dried up husk remained. "There is a place in the world for predators, but you abuse your power! That is something that we won't allow!"

"I didn't ask your permission." Vamdemon cast his gaze around, searching for his companion on the battlefield. He didn't like not having Yamato near to take what blows he could.

"Looking for him?" The demon prince smiled a smile that would've made Vamdemon proud if that had been _his_ offspring. But now he gestured and Vamdemon saw his servant, pinned to the ground in a shadow cast by a rock, two sharp blades keeping him there. "He's not going anywhere."

"And for that matter, neither are you!"

This time it was the construct and he moved too quickly even for Vamdemon to follow, slamming into the vampire lord with every ounce of strength that flowed through his body. Vamdemon grabbed onto him by sheer instinct alone, fingers tightening as he did, holding the creature up in front of him.

"If your allies think they can strike me down while I hold you, then I wish them luck!" Vamdemon snarled. He could smell blood coming from a dozen minor injuries on so many of his opponents, but what came strongest was from a cut right here on the construct. He licked his lips; what would feeding from this creature be like?

"Do it!" The shout came loud and clear. "Do it now!"

Holy energy flowed across the battlefield and Vamdemon looked up to see the cat glowing in a cocoon of pure blinding energy. His eyes slammed shut, though he kept hold of his hostage, and he tried his best to get away from the light.

"Sorry, you're not going anywhere! Said that once already, I think." The construct brought his legs up and slammed them against Vamdemon, wrapping his arms around the vampire and pushing them both back. "I think you need to meet this person anyway."

Where the cat had been, there now stood the angel's true form, a golden-haired beauty with a bow of pure holy power, a glimmering arrow drawn and held, pointing at him.

Vamdemon saw no reason to play fair. He pulled the construct up in front of where his heart would be if he had one. "Go ahead. Can you take us both out?"

"I'm pretty sure that's impossible," the construct chirped. The demon prince hovered not that far away, hints of worry in his expression that thrilled Vamdemon's twisted soul. If he could get the angel to destroy both of them, it would be _worth it_ just to know she'd harmed a relative innocent.

"Of course it is. Not even an angel could hit me with you in front of me, fool."

The creature grinned suddenly. Vamdemon could feel it even if he couldn't see it. "That's not what I was saying. Ken!"

"Now!" The words came within a heartbeat of one another. Out of the ground, reaching up with claws of green, vines and roots wove, some of them sliding around the construct, some around Vamdemon, pulling them apart, depositing the creature next to the demon prince.

The vines and roots that wrapped around Vamdemon held him in place no matter how hard he struggled. He caught a glimpse of the dryad princess and her companions, the cupid and the giant bird, lending her strength, along with another that looked much like a cross between a woman and a rose.

"Now, everyone! All together!" The female angel called out. "I'll need everything you've got to take care of him!"

And they gave it; Vamdemon could not believe his eyes, but they gave it! Energy in multiple forms came from everyone who stood against him, increasing the strength of that holy arrow until he could scarcely see for the force of it.

He didn't know when she fired it. But he knew when it hit, piercing him to the core. He screamed, unable to stop himself, hands reaching for the arrow and falling through where it pierced him. He couldn't touch it, couldn't touch anything, couldn't move at all.

 _Yamato!_ He shrieked for his slave, for the creature he'd crafted to serve his needs, but the bond that tied them together broke in the same moment the arrow struck and he could do nothing to stop it. If he'd needed to breathe he would've hauled in jagged gouts of air. He tried anyway, but it did no good. He could feel nothing but the agonizing pain of holy power unraveling him from the inside out.

He could see now the angel's eyes as she stared him down with the unpitying gaze her kind always had for him.

"I… will… return..."

He could not even be certain that they heard his vow, but in that moment, he lost his grip on everything. As he faded, the last sight that met his awareness was that of three people emerging from his castle: two of them very familiar to him.

With that, he dissolved entirely, slipping away to where the pain meant nothing, and did not, in fact, exist at all.

* * *

From the moment he'd awakened to Vamdemon's command, Yamato found himself aware of invisible bonds that kept him ensnared to his master's will. He'd grown used to them, almost to the point he didn't notice them anymore. It was easier to ignore them and just do as he was told, and much less painful than when he tried to disobey.

Now those bonds shattered. Yamato slumped downward, trembling all over, hardly able to grasp what had happened. Slowly he looked up. He remained where he was, pinned by the demon prince's swords, but he knew without a doubt if he were released, he wouldn't fight against them. Whatever they decided his fate was for what he'd done, he would accept it.

 _I hope they let me say good-bye to Taichi first this time. And let me talk to Takeru._ The things he'd been denied in his first death he ached for now that his second loomed closer.

He could hear them coming closer and he steeled himself. Whatever his fate, he'd earned it. So be it.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Author:** Higuchimon  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure 02  
 **Story Title:** Broken Siren  
 **Characters:** Taichi, Yamato, Chosen Children|| **Pairing:** Taichi x Yamato/Yamato x Taichi  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,787||story: 32,589|| **Chapters:** 15/15  
 **Genre:** Romance, Fantasy| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing Challenge, J4, 7-15 chapters; New Year's Mini-Advent, fic length determined by dice roll; (10,000-50,000 words); Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, day #23, write a fic where everything turns out alright (no one said it had to start that way); Easter Egg Basket Advent, day #5, include someone almost, but not quite, dying; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #8, 32,589 words; TaiYama/YamaTai Week on Tumblr, prompt #2, bonds  
 **Challenge Location:** Diversity Writing, New Year's Mini-Advent, Valentine's Day to White Day Advent 2016, Easter Egg Basket Advent,  & Word Count Set Boot Camp may be found at the Digimon Challenge forum on FFnet. TaiYama/YamaTai Week is hosted on Tumblr.  
 **Notes:** This is an AU. Things will probably be confusing now, but I will try to explain it all by the end.  
 **Summary:** Sirens are forbidden to exist in Prince Taichi's kingdom. He barely even thinks of them. So when a mysterious stranger with a compelling voice arrives at his twenty-first birthday party, Taichi's only desire is to get to know him better, no matter the cost.

* * *

No sooner did Taichi spy Yamato than he burst into a stumbling run and partially collapsed next to him. He reached one hand for the swords pinning Yamato down, then snapped his head up to glare at the rescue party.

"Let him up!" There wasn't a single bit of tone to his voice to indicate that he thought he'd be denied. There wasn't any reason to keep Yamato there. The battle was over; Vamdemon defeated and Yamato free. He didn't need pinning down like some kind of rabid beast.

Ken moved closer, leaning down to look the vampire-siren in the eyes. "Are you all right?"

Taichi held his breath waiting for an answer, expecting to hear that exotic, mesmerizing voice again. He couldn't imagine how he would react to hearing it now, if what he heard was just the simple answer to that question. His stomach did flip-flops just from the thought of hearing Yamato speak at all.

For a few moments, Yamato said and did nothing. Then he slowly nodded his head. Ken gave him another stern look, but one that edged more into thoughtfulness before he nodded as well, and reached for the swords impaled through Yamato's shoulders. Pulling them out sent a hiss of breath through Yamato's lips but nothing more.

Taichi pulled him into his arms as soon as Yamato could be moved. Only a thin trail of blood came from each injury, but Yamato didn't seem as if he were in any pain. Taichi raised one hand toward the wounds, nervous about touching them, then turned so he could get a good look at Yamato's face.

"Do those hurt? I mean… do you… do you need to feed?" How long ago had Yamato fed? Had it been on him? How long ago had that been? A thousand questions burst through Taichi's mind but then he dismissed them all when Yamato gave a quiet nod. "Why aren't you talking? Is your voice all right?"

Yamato blinked, confusion written all over his features, then first nodded, then shook his head, the confusion not fading in the slightest. Taichi started to reach for Yamato's throat and the siren pulled back quickly, shaking his head even harder. He raised himself up to look around, gaze falling on where the others gathered, and Taichi noticed signs of relief in his expression now.

"I don't know what the problem is," Taichi admitted, still keeping himself as close to Yamato as he could, and shaking him some. "This idiot won't say anything!"

Daisuke blinked at him, gaze flicking between them, then let out a small laugh. "Taichi, did you forget?"

"Forget what?" Taichi tilted his head, looking back at Yamato. Daisuke rolled his eyes.

"He's a siren, remember?"

"Of course I didn't forget that. What's the point?"

Yamato groaned out loud and shook his head before he caught Taichi's chin in his hand and pulled it over to him for a quick kiss, just enough to set Taichi's head spinning in the most pleasant of ways.

"Because, you idiot, you're the only one here who _isn't_ immune to or protected from my voice. And I'm not going to say anything that would hurt you, even by accident. So until you _are_ protected or immune, or I can't use my voice at all, I'm not going to say another word. Got it?"

Taichi groaned, more at the way Yamato's lips felt on his than anything else, then shook his head to clear it from the pleasant fog that just hearing Yamato's voice put him in. He ran over what the blond said a few times, then glared at him, whacking Yamato on the head.

"What do you mean, 'until you can't use your voice at all'? You think I'm just going to let you… be gagged for life? Some kind of spell to keep you mute? I bet the Archmage could do that, and I won't let him! He caused _enough_ problems making me forget you in the first place!" Oh, did Taichi have a few words he wanted to deliver on _that_ score when they got home! But he wasn't done with Yamato, not yet. "Oh, and while it's on my mind -" He whacked Yamato again. "That's for not talking to me before they tried to execute you! I could've at least tried to get you exiled or something!"

Yamato waved his hands in a very useless attempt to communicate something. Taichi didn't care and hit him again. "That's for just being an idiot."

Yamato caught his wrist before Taichi could make a third strike and shook his head before lightly thwacking his fingers against the side of Taichi's head.

"What was _that_ for?" Taichi groused at once. Yamato smiled a small tired smile and his lips moved without sound coming out. It took Taichi two tries before he understood what the other wanted to say.

 _I'll make a list later. When I can speak freely to you._

Taichi glowered again, rubbing where Yamato hit him. "Then we'd better figure out a way to do that, and the sooner the better."

"Are there any other angels who could help out?" Hikari asked the lovely one standing next to her. "You two do a really good job protecting me and Takeru."

Taichi shifted some so he could get a look at just who'd come to help them out. He'd never met these angels before, but he knew he needed to thank them for what they'd done to Vamdemon. He had a lot of people he needed to think, and the sooner he got to it, the better.

"I don't know. Is there anything else that could protect him, just in case?" The female angel, Angewomon as he came to know, asked.

"Being like us," Miyako spoke up wearily from where she leaned against a protruding rock, her eyes half-closed. "Siren magic only works on humans." She gestured to each of them and Taichi ticked it off in his mind: dryad, cupid, demon, half-phoenix, whatever the heck Daisuke was… The two angels protected Takeru and Hikari. As for Iori…

Taichi's head snapped around to stare at him. "How come you're not affected? You're human, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." Iori looked almost offended at the very thought he might not be. "But who said I _wasn't_ affected?"

Yamato winced at that and shook his head as hard as he could. Iori waved it away.

"Don't worry. You didn't say anything wrong anyway." He turned back to the others. "But Miyako is correct. The best way to protect him, if you two wish to be together, is for him to become a supernatural entity of some kind."

Taichi scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't really thought about it like that before. Most of his main thoughts had been on how to escape from Vamdemon anyway. Now that the deed was done, what came next hadn't yet completely worked itself to the front of his mind in more than the barest ways.

Yamato's fingers tightened a little on themselves and Taichi gave him a quick look. "What?" That got only a shake of the head, but Taichi wasn't going to let it slide that easily. "Come on, if you don't tell me, I'll… I'll..." What would be a good threat here? A vague memory from years earlier slotted into place. "I'll tickle you until you do!"

That got another look from Yamato, but instead of speaking an answer, he found a dusty patch of ground and sketched out a single word in it.

 _Werecat._

Taichi stared at it, then looked up at the others. "Anyone know any werecats?"

"Yes." He didn't expect Iori to give an answer on that. From the way everyone turned to stare at the young man, none of them had either.

It was Takeru who spoke up first, though. "Hello. I don't think we've been introduced." He gestured to himself. "Takeru. My brother's the idiot over there with two holes in his shoulders and the pointy teeth."

A quick smile flashed over Iori's lips as he met Takeru's eyes. "I know. We've known each other for a while. He's spoken about you to me."

Taichi couldn't move fast enough to be sure, but he thought Yamato looked a bit blushy about that. He decided he'd ask about that another time.

"You know a werecat?"

"Yes." Iori settled himself on a rock, hands folded in front of him. "Vamdemon turned a young man by the name of Jou several years ago. But matters between them didn't work out as well as he hoped, and Jou found a way to free himself. He ran away and found sanctuary for a time in a village to the north. That's where he met Koushirou. The two of them became lovers and eventually moved onward together." For a moment Iori said nothing. Then he shook his head and picked up his tale. "Koushirou is a werecat."

Yamato nodded enthusiastically, then drooped, a frown touching on his lips. Taichi racked his brain, trying to figure out what the problem was now.

"All right, does anyone know where he is?" That was the only thing that he could imagine at the moment. This guy was alive, wasn't he? Or else they wouldn't bother suggesting him? Right?

Did werecats count as alive or were they like vampires? Taichi regretted not having paid as much attention in certain of his classes, now that the supernatural had so suddenly become a part of his life.

"I last heard from him several years ago. They had to stop writing to me because …" Iori's gaze flicked over to Yamato, who let out a long sigh and let his shoulders droop even more. "Koushirou never told me where they lived, though. Writing to me was dangerous enough without that kind of information capable of falling into Vamdemon's hands."

Taichi sensed a very complicated and interesting story behind what Iori and Yamato weren't telling them. Not that he blamed either one; if he'd spent who knew how many years with Vamdemon, he wouldn't have wanted to talk about it either. As it was, he didn't really want to say anything about what happened over the last few hours.

Ken cleared his throat. "I think we should go back to the palace for now. _Some_ of us need a healer's care." He looked plainly from Taichi to Iori, then shifted toward Miyako. "Or just to rest in general, when they shouldn't have come along at all."

Miyako rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."

"I don't think I've seen you this close to being reborn. Ever." Iori spoke up, his eyes going up to her, then away with all speed. "You need to rest, Miyako."

Hikari gave her a glare of her own. "And this time, you're not getting up for anything."

Taichi chuckled a little, trying to push himself to his feet and not having nearly as much luck as he would like. He ground his teeth and tried again, legs wavering, arms still tight around Yamato, and he found himself leaning against the other. Yamato's arms slid around him and together, shakily, the two of them stumbled and half-collapsed before finally making it to their feet.

"How are we getting back home?" Taichi asked once they'd succeeded in that much. "I don't know about all of you, but I can't fly." He thought most of them could. It wasn't fair; he wanted to fly too!

Though probably it wouldn't be such a bad idea to just eat first and maybe get a few hours of sleep. They'd have to go looking for this werecat and vampire combination at some point, and he wasn't going to let anyone else but him go on that mission.

Or rather, he'd go on it and they could go with him. He wasn't as good at putting words together as he usually was at the moment.

Being as close to Yamato as he was meant that he did notice something, though: the way the other shivered at the mention of the palace. He gave Yamato a harsh look. Even as tired as he was, he could guess the problem there.

"No one's going to do anything to you. I promise. I won't let them." This time, at least, he knew what was going on enough so that he _could_ interfere on Yamato's behalf. And he still wanted to have a very long talk with his parents and the Archmage. They'd meant well; he knew they had. But meaning well didn't mean what they'd done was right at all.

"All right, how are we all getting back?" Taichi wanted to get this sorted out and them on the way as soon as they could manage it. The thought of his warm bed, with an equally warm – or was he cool now, Taichi hadn't really tested it yet – Yamato with him appealed more than anything he could think of.

Yamato tilted his head, taking a look at everyone and their companions. He made a few vague gestures – Taichi decided the sooner they got this werecat or whatever business dealt with the better – and then threw his head back, a single word ripping out of his throat and echoing over the area.

" _Garurumon!_ "

The sound bounced off the mountain's walls, dropping down with each echo, until only silence came back. Yamato drew in breath, about to call again, when a howl reminiscent of a wolf echoed back, shaping itself into a word a heartbeat later.

"Yamato!"

From above there leaped a large, blue and white wolf, leaping from the rocks until it landed in front of Yamato, joy in every stride. His great head, coming up to Yamato's waist, nuzzled against Yamato, a deep grumbling sound rising from the depths of his chest.

"I didn't think you'd ever call me again." Garurumon pulled away only after a few minutes of Yamato burying his fingers in his fur, and then only to look around at the others, eyes fastening on Taichi. "You're human."

Taichi blinked. Why did everyone else get a cool monster friend and he didn't? "Uh, yeah." What else did one say to a gigantic magical wolf? "Hi?"

Garurumon chuckled at that. "A pleasure to meet you. You're why Yamato hasn't spoken, then."

That got a nod from Yamato, who then reached out a hand to Taichi, gesturing with his free one toward Garurumon. This time the message was clear: let's ride.

Taichi had no idea anymore of all the questions he wanted to ask about the time he and Yamato spent apart. That would have to wait, whether he liked it or not. He trusted Yamato not to use his powers in the wrong way, not on him or anyone else.

 _Maybe he doesn't trust himself, though._ That made more sense.

They'd get all that fixed. Taichi refused to let anything else happen. They'd waited long enough. He wanted it to be worth it in the end.

* * *

Yamato settled onto Garurumon's back, Taichi in front of him, and wrapped his arms around the prince. He didn't know how long they'd be able to remain together and he wanted as much closeness as they could manage. Just because they knew of a way to make Taichi immune to his voice didn't mean it would work or that it would be useable any time soon even if it did.

Not to mention there were plenty of people in the world who weren't Taichi and who would still be vulnerable to his voice. That left two options ahead of him that he could see.

One, that he never entered human lands again. That did leave a large chunk of the world for him to wander through and if he were careful, he could go the rest of his life – existence – without seeing humans again.

At least not to speak to. He still had other needs that he needed humans for. Or their blood.

The other option wasn't quite as palatable, but existed all the same: that he do something so that he couldn't speak again. Ever. Even if Taichi didn't like it, it was an available option. The Archmage probably _could_ help there, presuming that even with Taichi and the others to speak for him that the king and queen permitted him to remain in the kingdom.

He'd work toward that once they'd sorted things with Taichi. Just one step at a time, that's how they would work through this. It wasn't as if they had any other options.

With Taichi so close to him, Garurumon underneath him, and people he hoped he could call friends one day beside him, Yamato left Vamdemon's home for the final time.

 **The End**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


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